Mumbai: The Bombay high court has appointed a court commissioner to inspect the Vikhroli-Parksite area, following allegations that a private developer is cutting or slicing off the hills near the region indiscriminately without making any safety and precautionary measures for the people living on the hill top.
In a recent direction, the court also asked the commissioner to check whether the construction is being undertaken within the land belonging to the developer. The court further said that for conducting the above exercise, the commissioner can take the assistance of Structural Stability Consultants as well as surveyors or any other experts whom he thinks would assist him to conclude the inspection and report.
The court has appointed member secretary of the High Court Legal Service Authority as a commissioner of court to carry out the inspection. While directing the commissioner to submits his report within three weeks, the court also directed the developer to deposit Rs 50,000 as commission fees.
During the last hearing, the court had directed the suburban collector to inspect the said area and file an affidavit. Accordingly, he submitted a report in which he stated that he has not given any permission to cut a portion of the hill and said that the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) might have given the permission to the developer, but the BMC has denied the same.
A division bench of Justice Manjula Chellur and Justice M.S. Sonak was hearing a public interest litigation filed by Janseva Vikas Samiti, an NGO. The NGO, through its lawyer Samrat Shinde, alleged illegal excavation of hills in the area as well as cutting of trees by a private builder.
According to the petition, there are around 5,000 huts in the vicinity of the hills. If the developer continues cutting trees and the hill, there are chances of a landslide in the area during rainy season.
