Navi Mumbai: Illegal Temples on Belapur Hill Remain Despite Demolition Order, RTI Exposes Inaction | File Photo
Navi Mumbai: The Maharashtra State Human Rights Commission (MSHRC) had ordered the removal of 30 illegal temples built precariously on the slopes of Belapur Hill, but authorities are yet to act on it, information obtained through the Right to Information (RTI) Act has revealed.
According to City and Industrial Development Corporation (CIDCO) records, these unauthorized structures occupy an extensive 2.3 lakh square feet on the hill slopes. Some of these temples, covering between 20,000 and 40,000 square feet, have constructed large halls capable of accommodating up to 2,000 people, raising serious safety concerns. Environmental group NatConnect Foundation has warned of the high risk posed by these constructions, particularly in the event of landslides.
B N Kumar, Director of NatConnect, had filed an RTI application seeking details on the implementation of the MSHRC’s August 2023 order, which recorded commitments from the Urban Development Department (UDD) and CIDCO to demolish the illegal structures. The Commission, headed by Justice K K Tated and member M A Sayeed, had taken suo motu cognizance of media reports warning of potential disasters at the site.
During the hearing, the UDD informed the Commission that the state government had instructed CIDCO to carry out demolitions, in line with a Supreme Court ruling from September 2009. The department had even sought police protection for the planned demolition drive. Additionally, the Forest Department confirmed that the hill had already been handed over to CIDCO.
CIDCO itself had assured the Commission that it would take action once notices served to temple organizations expired—yet no steps have been taken, Kumar pointed out.
Meanwhile, instead of addressing the violations, local activists Himanshu Katkar and Kapil Kulkarni have observed fresh construction and expansion of old temples at the site. They expressed alarm over the use of heavy machinery and power generators being transported up the slope, signaling large-scale illegal activity.
“We are not against temples, but they must be built in safe locations,” Kumar emphasized. He noted that CIDCO has a policy of allotting designated plots for religious trusts, under which the temples could be legally relocated.
As authorities remain inactive, NatConnect’s legal counsel Ronita Bhattacharya has served notices to both the government and CIDCO, but no response has been received.
The issue of illegal structures on Belapur Hill has been unresolved since 2015, when the then CIDCO MD Sanjay Bhatia had first promised action. Residents of the nearby Kalpataru Cooperative Housing Society, which had raised complaints a decade ago, remain frustrated by the continued inaction.
Environmentalists have warned that Belapur Hill could face a disaster similar to the landslides at Wayanad or Irshalwadi, as large crowds regularly gather at these religious sites.
