The hills have eyes: Activists, residents ensure encroachments on city’s tekdis stay on PMC radar

PUNE With local residents and activists keeping a keen eye on encroachments on hills in the city, on March 16, the forest department demolished an illegal structure atop a hill in the Bhamburda forest area

PUNE With local residents and activists keeping a keen eye on encroachments on hills in the city, on March 16, the forest department demolished an illegal structure atop a hill in the Bhamburda forest area.

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“Vetal tekdi (hill) is notorious for encroachments. Last year some people erected a hut next to a small temple and even ploughed a small patch to grow vegetables. We reported this and a team demolished the tent. On March 16, a similar encroachment was reported on the hill and again, a rapid response team from the firest department ensured that it was taken down. Unless strict action is taken immediately, such structures tend to rapidly become permanent ones with concrete and bricks, which then becomes impossible to remove,” said Sushma Date, member of the Deccan Gymkhana Parisar Samiti (DGPS).

In another instance, an illegal encroachment was razed to the ground on Mahatma tekdi due to the intervention of Vandana Chavan, who highlighted the encroachment.

According to tekdi lovers, though the administration has strict rules on paper as regards all areas marked under the biodiversity park reservation (BDP), the administration is not on the ball in terms of implementation.

According to activists, encroachments on hills in Katraj, Kondhwa and Baner have doubled in the last five years.

“Despite knowing that these hills belong to the BDP, they are being ignored by the municipal officials and complaints from locals are disregarded,” added Date.

Similarly, the Baner tekdi is also under attack with encroachments in the form of a statue and gazebo on a hillock that is part of Sr.no. 49/1 of the Baner biodiversity park.

Recently, a new encroachment, in the form of a “Buddha Vihar”, is visible since April 2020.

This is atop a hill adjacent to the ongoing construction of the Sus-Pashan bridge.

“Various politicians have come to check the Pashan-Sus bridge/flyover work, but no one utters a word against this structure. PMC officials have categorically ignored this encroachment,” said Pushkar Kulkarni, from Save Baner Hills.

“We are urging PMC and local authorities to use technology and satellite imagery to scan and check for encroachments on the tekdis,” added Kulkarni.