Fear of triggering landslides forces Cidco to halt razing structures on Belapur hill

Navi Mumbai: The City and Industrial Development Corporation (Cidco) has stopped demolition of illegal religious structures on the Belapur hill slope, fearing landslides amid the ongoing monsoon season.
Earlier, demolition of 30 religious structures had been undertaken after the Maharashtra State Human Rights Commission (MSHRC) took suo motu notice of the media reports, indicating landslide dangers on the hill, thereby threatening lives and properties on and below the hill.
Cidco had served notices to 30 illegal structures covering over 3.2 lakh square feet on the hill — equivalent to the carpet area of some 400 flats of one BHK size — information obtained under the RTI Act revealed. The MSHRC served notices on the state govt as well as Cidco and Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) to explain their position.
“With so many structures on the loose slopes, we fear another Wayanad type tragedy as the illegal construction has also wiped out many trees which hold the soil,” NatConnect Foundation director and green activist B N Kumar said.
Meanwhile, Cidco, with the help of over 100 policemen, started demolition, but called it off after breaking parts of two structures as the soil started giving in during downpour. “It is risky as the heavy machinery that brings down the structures can also cause landslides,” an official remarked. — Vijay Singh