Navi Mumbai’s fragile Belapur and Parsik Hills are at the centre of a growing legal storm as environmental campaigners prepare to approach the Bombay High Court, demanding immediate action against unauthorised religious structures threatening ecological stability and public safety. The City and Industrial Development Corporation (CIDCO), which owns much of the land, stands accused of ignoring legal and human rights directives despite clear evidence of construction violations on these landslide-prone slopes.
At the heart of the matter are 30 illegally constructed religious buildings, several of which have expanded despite receiving notices. Activists argue these structures, while religious in appearance, represent unchecked urban encroachment with severe environmental consequences. The slopes in question have already seen widespread deforestation, compromising soil stability and dramatically increasing the risk of landslides — particularly during the monsoon months. Despite multiple warnings from the Maharashtra State Human Rights Commission and a joint survey by CIDCO and the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) that classified the structures for demolition, no demolition action has been taken. According to campaigners, this is a breach of both civic responsibility and judicial commitment. The inaction has led to increasing frustration among citizens and green groups, who now view legal intervention as their only recourse.
The matter is compounded by bureaucratic confusion over jurisdiction. CIDCO claims the onus lies with NMMC, citing a Supreme Court ruling directing municipal bodies to act on illegal religious encroachments. Meanwhile, the NMMC insists the hills fall under CIDCO’s jurisdiction, a stance also backed by the Forest Department. This back-and-forth has effectively paralysed enforcement action, leaving the slopes vulnerable and residents anxious. Local voices add weight to the campaign. Several residential complexes lie at the foothills of these encroached zones, raising the alarm about the safety of thousands living directly in the potential landslide path. Many citizens have drawn parallels to the devastating Irshalwadi landslide in Raigad district in 2023, which claimed close to 80 lives — a stark warning of what unregulated hill activity can lead to.
Activists have exhausted nearly every administrative avenue before deciding to move the High Court. From submitting petitions under the Right to Information Act to raising the matter with the Urban Development Department and CIDCO’s internal vigilance authorities, the responses have ranged from vague reassurances to bureaucratic silence. As the monsoon intensifies, so does the urgency to act. The legal team preparing the writ petition argues that this is not a battle against religion but one of public accountability. The Supreme Court has already provided clear guidelines for handling illegal religious structures on public land — classify them for demolition, relocation, or regularisation. In the case of Belapur Hills, CIDCO itself has identified the structures as falling into the demolition category. The failure to act, say legal experts, may amount to wilful negligence, especially if lives are lost due to inaction.
This growing confrontation underscores a larger issue gripping India’s expanding urban areas — the encroachment of ecological zones under the guise of religious or cultural development. The challenge is not religious but administrative: how can cities ensure public safety and environmental protection while respecting diverse belief systems? The Belapur and Parsik Hills controversy is more than a land dispute; it is a test of institutional integrity, environmental stewardship, and urban governance. As the legal case heads to court, the city waits to see if rule of law and ecological balance can prevail over political hesitation and institutional buck-passing. Whether the judiciary will step in to restore accountability remains a pressing question for Navi Mumbai and other rapidly growing Indian cities.
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