Navi Mumbai: Vindicating the environmentalists’ complaints, the City and Industrial Development Corporation (CIDCO) has served a show cause notice on a realty developer for ‘violating’ the conditions for maintenance and plantation of the Parsik Hill slope in Belapur and using the area for advertising.
A joint inspection by the planning agency and other government bodies found violations by the developer.
CIDCO, MPCB, and NMMC submitted enquiry reports
The Human Right Commission (HRC) Mumbai intervened, taking a Suo Motu note of media reports based on environmental groups' complaints that the so-called plantation by destroying the existing greenery and digging along the slope endangered the lives of the people living on top of the Parsik Hill in sector 30/31 in Belapur. The commission ordered CIDCO, MPCB, and NMMC to conduct an enquiry and submit a report.
Responding to the Commission’s summons, the CIDCO affidavit, signed by Town Service Manager Deepak K Jogi, detailed the leave and license arrangement with Bhumiraj Builders Private Limited and said that a joint inspection by the planning agency and other government bodies found violations by the developer.
Jogi’s affidavit mentioned that the builder violated the agreement by “illegally” constructing a PCC pathway, a concrete platform of 4 meters x 4 meters for erecting an advertisement hoarding without permission.
CIDCO, therefore, served the notice on the builder on January 5 asking him to remove all the construction within 15 days or face legal action, other documents produced by CIDCO at HRC showed.
The HRC, headed by justice K K Tated and justice M A Sayeed as a member, asked the CIDCO lawyer to file an additional affidavit detailing the action taken.
NGO NatConnect Foundation director B N Kumar said that in an RTI application, the State Environment Department confirmed that it has not given any clearance for digging the hill slope.
Bhupendra Shah, founder and CMD of Bhumiraj Builders Private Limited said that he has already submitted a report based on IIT suggestions to the court and CIDCO. “I am ready to follow the term and conditions laid down in the leave and licenses agreement. We will make necessary changes in the board as per the suggestion of CIDCO,” said Shah. Meanwhile, the HRC fixed the next hearing for February 16.
