Third human chain flags Ishlawati-type landslide risk on Belapur hills; 200 citizens demand immediate action

Navi Mumbai: Sounding a fresh alarm over mounting landslide threats, nearly 200 citizens and environmental groups formed a third human chain at Belapur’s main traffic junction in the satellite township of Navi Mumbai on Sunday morning, intensifying their campaign to protect the fragile Belapur Hills from unchecked and allegedly illegal construction.

The protest, spearheaded by Save Belapur Hills Forum and NatConnect Foundation, focused on what activists describe as decades of official inaction against nearly 30 unauthorised structures spread across the landslide-prone slopes.

Together, these constructions occupy an estimated 2.3 lakh square feet of public land, as per information obtained from CIDCO via the RTI route, and much of it was carved out after large-scale tree felling that loosened the hill soil.

Despite demolition orders and commitments placed before the Maharashtra State Human Rights Commission (MSHRC), activists allege that the structures continue to expand in plain sight. The hills, visible from the CIDCO headquarters, have become a symbol of regulatory paralysis, they said.

This is the third such agitation in less than two years. Earlier human chains were organised in April 2024 to highlight landslide dangers after extensive tree uprooting for construction, and again in February 2025 to protest non-compliance with MSHRC directives.

Warning signs, residents say, are already evident. Housing societies at the foothills have reported damage from soil movement during heavy rainfall, including cracked retention walls and boulders rolling downhill. More than 600 homes lie directly below the vulnerable slopes, said Kapil Kulkarni of the Save Belapur Hills Forum.

“We are not against any structure or community. Our concern is safety — for the devotees visiting these places and for families living below the hill,” said B N Kumar, Director of NatConnect Foundation. “Faith deserves safety, not unstable slopes.”

Environmentalists have drawn parallels with the July 19, 2023 Irshalwadi landslide in Raigad district that wiped out an entire village and killed 84 people. They cautioned that Belapur’s loosened terrain presents similar geological risks if preventive action is delayed.

They also point to recent Himalayan disasters as reminders of how unregulated hill construction can amplify natural hazards.

Activists trace the crisis back to 2015 when action was first promised as initial construction began. 

A decade later, they claim the number of structures has multiplied significantly.

Adding to concerns is the emergence of a large slum settlement along portions of the slope, exposing economically vulnerable families to imminent danger. “The risk is not selective, as soil does not differentiate,” said Sudhir Dani of Sajag Nagrik Manch, Navi Mumbai.

The Maharashtra State Human Rights Commission took suo motu cognisance of media reports in November 2022 and summoned senior state and planning authorities to explain the delay in enforcement. The Commission has questioned why demolition orders and no-development norms remain largely unimplemented despite clear Supreme Court and High Court guidelines.

Activists allege that a demolition drive initiated during the July 2024 monsoon was halted midway due to landslide fears. The requests to disconnect the water and power supply to unauthorised structures largely remained on paper.

Sunday’s human chain was supported by Punarvasu Foundation, Kharghar Welfare Association, Nisarg Friendship Club's Suresh Thorat and team), Sanpada Nisarg Premi's Patki and team, Save Flamingos and Mangroves' Rekha Sankhla and team and Parsik Greens.

With soil stability deteriorating and monsoon months approaching, their message is urgent and unequivocal: enforce no-development norms, relocate hazardous constructions to safe zones, and act before Belapur becomes another preventable tragedy.