The Dindoshi hills, located adjacent to the Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP), are once again in the spotlight for the wrong reasons. City-based environmentalist Stalin D has alleged that deforestation and large-scale vegetation clearing are ongoing on the hills, despite clear directives from the National Green Tribunal (NGT). Stalin has raised concerns that these activities violate NGT orders. He has submitted complaints to the BMC`s garden department, the municipal commissioner, the Mumbai collector and SGNP director.
“An order passed by the NGT specifically directs the BMC and the district collector (Respondents No. 1 and 2) to ensure that there is no tree felling or destruction at the site. The location in question is in the Dindoshi hills, Malad. The survey numbers mentioned in the order are 239/1, CTS 827A/4A/1, and CTS 827A/4A/2. Geotagged images clearly show that the site has been levelled and vegetation cleared using a JCB machine over the past five days, said Stalin D. He has urged authorities to take immediate action to stop the ongoing violations, seize the machinery involved, and protect the area from further ecological damage.
Nature lovers have repeatedly alleged that the hills face routine deforestation, illegal hill cutting, and even the setting of deliberate fires to destroy trees and vegetation. Previously, it was also alleged that fires are frequently set on the hills, and saplings are uprooted or destroyed at night to prevent regrowth. These hills are the origin point of the Oshiwara river (known as Walbhat Nalla, as per BMC records). Activists claim that the forest is being intentionally burned by encroachers to strip the area of all vegetation.
Stalin D had earlier demanded that, since the area falls within the eco-sensitive zone of SGNP, it must be protected round the clock. He called for forest guards to be posted at the site and for emergency fire-fighting measures to be implemented, including the installation of CCTV cameras to monitor illegal activities. In the past, environmentalists have also alleged that authorities, including the collector`s office, the forest department, the BMC, and local police, have collectively failed to protect the Dindoshi forest area. They have demanded that landowners involved in the destruction be prosecuted.
