Dindoshi Hills Fire: Mumbai Police takes over investigation into alleged deliberate blaze near SGNP | X/@GreenStalin
Mumbai: The investigation into the December 29, 2024, fire incident on Dindoshi Hills opposite Goregaon Infinity IT Park, will now be carried out by the Mumbai Police, the Mumbai Fire Brigade (MFB) said.
“As per the preliminary investigation, there is a high possibility that the blaze was deliberately ignited. We did not find any traces of cigarette bud or anything else that could lead to accidental fire,” a senior MFB officer said.
The FPJ reported on December 30 that NGO Vanshakti has complained to the Maharashtra Forest Department, Ministry of Environment and Forest, Mumbai suburban collector, and other authorities seeking an immediate investigation into the Dindoshi Hills fire incident.
Environmentalists allege that the blaze was not accidental or natural but deliberately ignited to kill the vegetation near Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP) so that the land could be used for commercial purposes in the near future. The section of the land that caught fire is private land, with a wall dividing it from the forest land of SGNP.
“The fire was confined to shrubs in multiple sections. The area is heavily guarded and not open to the public. It is possible the private developers started the fire to burn the scrap, but it is not permitted as the land falls under the eco-sensitive zone. Dindoshi Police will now investigate the fire incident,” the officer said.
This is not the first time that there has been an attempt to kill the dense vegetation near SGNP. A report by a committee formed by the National Green Tribunal (NGT) reveals that after a fire in December 2018 in the eco-sensitive zone in Malad near SGNP, 65 teak trees, 126 large trees had been cut at the roots, 185 medium-sized teak trees and 778 trees of other species were felled shortly before the fire occurred.
The report also stated that 522 tree roots were severed prior to the fire, and during the blaze 4216 tree roots were destroyed. The scale of destruction and the timing of tree cutting strongly suggest deliberate human intervention aimed at clearing the land, possibly to facilitate future developments.
The report also stated that an FIR was registered against Ferrani Hotels Pvt Ltd at Dindoshi Police station urging immediate action for large-scale illegal tree felling. The 76-page report was submitted to NGT in July-August 2024 and the committee members include a DMC from Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, Conservator of Forests (Western Region), Director SGNP and Executive Engineer of Thane Irrigation Department.
Director of NGO Vanshakti said, “The report reveals how the entire fraud has played out. The private developers want to kill the vegetation for their commercial purposes, disturbing the ecological balance.”
