NGT upholds ban on destruction of Dindoshi Hills

The NGT has ordered a status quo in Dindoshi Hills amid a petition to ban construction and tree felling, citing large-scale environmental degradation.

The National Green Tribunal has ordered that the status quo be maintained in the Dindoshi Hills, on a petition seeking a ban on construction activity and tree felling in the area. The order was delivered in a hearing on Thursday, on a petition filed by NGO Vanashakti.

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The non-profit had filed a petition before the tribunal in April, alleging that the Dindoshi Hills and their green cover were being destroyed due to trees being axed and burnt, rivers being rerouted, the hills were being flattened, and debris being dumped by two private builders, K Raheja Realty and Ferani Hotels.

In May, the NGT issued an order banning activities that resulted in the destruction of the Dindoshi Hills, a 2-km range on the edge of the Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP). The ban had been reported by HT. The tribunal also ordered the setting up of a joint committee to inspect the situation on-ground and submit a report within a month. The committee would consist of a representative of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), District Collector and Principal Secretaries of the Environment Department, Water Resources Department, and the Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forests.

During the hearing on Thursday, the NGT said that the report had been submitted in August, three months past the stipulated deadline. The report was then shared with the applicant and other respondents in September.

“The joint committee’s report confirms large-scale destruction and environmental degradation of the Dindoshi Hills,” said Stalin D from Vanashakti, who added that over 7,500 trees had already been felled. “Since the order in May, the flattening of the hills had stopped but trees continued to be cut on portions that are not easily visible.” This was conveyed to the tribunal in the hearing on Thursday.

“We are worried about the flattening of the hills and rerouting of the Oshiwara River, as this will make the soil unstable and trigger landslides. There was already a landslide in the area in 2010 and it buried several homes,” said Stalin.