Dinesh Kamath's news item 'AAP and residents to organize Chipko movement (To prevent exploitation of Belapur Hill)' that was published in Newsband

AAP and residents to organize Chipko movement

To prevent exploitation of Belapur Hill

By Dinesh Kamath

NAVI MUMBAI: Residents of Belapur's Sector 8 B, along with activists of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), are planning to organize a Chipko movement in order to protect the forested Belapur hill.

This is in reply to the way the encroachers excavate parts of this green zone and set the trees on fire to create more space.

AAP members and residents had informed the City and Industrial Development Corporation (CIDCO) about yet another forest fire on the hill. AAP has now decided to organize a Chipko movement, the way it was done in Uttarakhand, and in the process save the trees and hill.

The Belapur residents keep complaining to CIDCO about reckless destruction of the flora and fauna on this hill, in spite of it being a restricted area, but CIDCO is just unable to control the culprits.

The land mafia of Navi Mumbai is suspected of trying to take over this hill to build illegal structures in order to gain from the fact that real estate rates are on the rise in the city. It is also suspected that this land mafia has the backing of some local politicians. AAP is now intending to make use of the Right To Information Act and trying to derive all the information relating to this destruction that is being caused to the hill. AAP has also planned to lodge an official complaint relating to this matter with the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC).