NAVI MUMBAI: The State Urban Development Department (UDD) has issued a reminder to take action based on the Maharashtra State Human Rights Commission (MSHRC) ruling concerning 30 illegal temples built on the dangerous slopes of Belapur Hill in Navi Mumbai, according to information obtained under the RTI Act.
CIDCO’s records show these illegal structures occupy over 2.3 lakh square feet of hillside land. Some temples, ranging from 20,000 to 40,000 square feet, feature halls capable of accommodating up to 2,000 people, which NatConnect Foundation warns is a severe safety risk.
B.N. Kumar, Director of NatConnect Foundation, filed the RTI request to inquire about actions taken after the MSHRC's August 2024 order. The ruling recorded commitments from UDD and CIDCO to remove the illegal structures.
The Commission, comprising Justice K.K. Tated and member M.A. Sayeed, had taken suo-motu notice of media reports regarding the risk of landslides on the hill, which could pose a significant threat to both lives and properties, including the temples themselves.
During the hearing, the UDD informed the MSHRC that the government had instructed CIDCO to demolish the illegal structures, in line with a previous Supreme Court ruling dated September 20, 2009. The department even requested police security for the demolitions from the Home Department. The Forest Department stated that the hill had been handed over to CIDCO.
CIDCO had assured the Commission that demolition would proceed once the notices served to the temple organizations had expired. However, despite these assurances, local activists Himanshu Katkar and Kapil Kulkarni expressed concern that no action has been taken. In fact, construction work and the expansion of existing temples are continuing unabated.
The activists were shocked to observe that heavy machinery and power generators have been driven up the slopes to support the construction, yet the authorities have failed to act. They emphasized that while they are not opposed to the construction of temples, these structures should be built in safe locations. CIDCO has a policy for allocating plots for trusts, which could potentially allow for the relocation of the temples.
The MSHRC had also advised NatConnect to approach the commission again if violations continued. However, with no action from CIDCO, NatConnect’s counsel, Ronita Bhattacharya, has sent legal notices to both the government and CIDCO but received no response.
The issue of illegal structures has been unresolved since 2015 when then-CIDCO MD Sanjay Bhatia promised action after temple construction began. A resident of Kalpataru Cooperative Housing Society, which had raised concerns a decade ago, recalled that promises of resolution had yet to be fulfilled.
NatConnect fears a disaster similar to the recent tragedies in Wayanad or Irshalwadi, as large crowds regularly gather at these religious sites.