The green cover at Dindoshi Hills in Malad East is one among the disappearing forests of Mumbai. Rich in biodiversity, it extends over 138 hectares and is close to Tulsi Lake and Kanheri Caves. Unfortunately, the hills have fallen prey to the greed of developers, leading to deforestation.
During a study conducted by Vanashakti from June 2021 to October 2022, we found forty species of plants in the close vicinity of the site. This includes Strobilanthes callosa, locally known as karvy, which blooms once in seven years and is categorised as ‘threatened’ in the IUCN Red List. We also observed wildlife on the site including herds of Sambhar Deer, jackals and leopard tracks.
Moreover, two rivers originate from these hills — Poisar and Oshiwara. Over the years, these hills have witnessed untold destruction in the form of deforestation and excavation. One of the most alarming things that has happened here is that the course of the rivers has changed, thanks to deliberate concretisation of their banks and consequent narrowing.
Deforestation and excavation at Dindoshi Hills
Some part of the hills, almost 200 acres of land, is so staunchly guarded, that one may mistake it for a nuclear facility. It was in 2012 that I noticed that the hills were being denuded. Moreover, excavation of the hills had also started. We immediately alerted the collector and the other relevant authorities to these activities, but unfortunately we did not get any response from them.
At the same time, we also took the step of informing the National Green Tribunal about the situation and lodged a complaint with them. The NGT ordered an immediate stop to excavation activities at Dindoshi hills.
Following the order of the NGT, people involved in the excavation activities had no option but to stop.
Read more: Panje wetlands: Greens continue their fight against all odds
Builders find another way
Although it seemed the ban on excavation had put an end to the harm being done to the hills, they had only found other ways to resume — by setting fire to the vegetation. In the years following the order passed by the NGT, we found there were fires in the forests on the hills. We observed that there were massive fires which broke out almost every year starting 2015, followed by 2017, 2018 and in 2021.
In fact, recently too, there were fires in the hills: on December 28 2024 and January 13 2025. Despite the NGT orders, the hills are not receiving the protection they need for their conservation.
In 2021, excavation work resumed on the hills. That is when we decided we had to approach the NGT again as the Tribunal had given us the liberty to approach them in case their orders were violated.
Order of the National Green Tribunal
In 2021, when excavation of the hills began again we made representations to the governmental authorities to stop the destruction. Each time, the work would pause for a while and resume again. Finally in 2024, we took the matter back to NGT and made them aware of how this forested area was being wrecked.
The NGT ordered that a committee be formed which would visit the site, examine the area and submit a report on their findings. The committee thus set up was comprised of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB), the Forest Department and the City Survey Department. Their report conclusively stated that the hills were being destroyed through excavation and deforestation.
But despite the NGT order and the report of the Committee, vegetation was still being chopped down on the hills every day. They were also spraying chemicals to prevent new saplings from growing. It was only after I tweeted about it that the government sprung into action to stop the denuding and poisoning of the forests. Excavation also was stopped.
Read more: Lives, livelihoods and art: What keeps Warlis rooted in Sanjay Gandhi National Park
To whom does the land belong?
There is no clarity on the ownership of the land here. It must first be noted that this land was a ‘No Development Zone’ (NDZ), which means that no construction can take place there. The land belonged to Nusli Wadia, who entered into an agreement with Raheja Builders. It is baffling that such as agreement was permitted in an NDZ.
It then came to light that the land had been converted from NDZ to SDZ (Special Development Zone) so that building activities could take place there, something which is not difficult to achieve in Mumbai if you have the money to do so.
If not for the fact that these hills fall in the eco-sensitive zone of the Sanjay Gandhi National Park, we would have seen a cluster of tall towers coming up here by now. But unfortunately for the builders and fortunately for us, their plans have been thwarted by the fact that this is an eco-sensitive zone. The report submitted by the committee also reflects this, and states categorically that this area is witnessing serious environmental violations.
Moreover, what is also alarming is that the area is already prone to landslides. Any construction activity in such a fragile zone could trigger a massive landslide, leading to the collapse of the entire hill. Last month when I visited the area, some residents of the nearby MHADA colony told me that there was a landslide prompting the construction of a wall to prevent the mud from coming downwards.
Meanwhile, the government also indirectly or directly helped the destruction of the hills by commencing the making of a DP road by not only sanctioning plans for the same but by starting work on it. It was only when an order came in from the NGT asking for the work to be halted that the road construction stopped. People suffer for months if not years to get the BMC to help them on daily issues but here in a forest, inside an Eco Sensitive Zone, they were all too eager to make a DP road!
The land game
More than one builder is eying these hills for construction. In a shocking event, during one of my visits to the hills, we encountered a person who claimed it was his land. It turned out that he was from DB Realty. I was alarmed by this new entrant into the picture and filed an RTI application to find out exactly what was happening.
It turns out that DB Realty was laying claim to two acres of land belonging to the Forest Department and was demanding that it be handed over to them for construction purposes. What was even more incredible was that the Collector had issued a letter asking the Forest Department to hand over the land to them.
DB Realty on their part offered a reassurance which would have been amusing if not for the gravity of the situation — that they would not cut the trees growing on that land and would show that as “open space” in their plan. The FSI of 2 acres of land would translate into thousands of crores of profit for the builders. How could land inside a protected forest, a notified wildlife area be handed over by exchanging of letters between the collector and forest officials? It is illegal and preposterous.
It is appalling that authorities take such liberties — it was beyond the purview of the collector to offer this protected land to real estate without approvals from the Central Government. Furthermore, the Forest Department cannot entertain such orders from the office of the Collector. A legal notice that I sent stopped this from going ahead and DB Realty was not able to take over the two acres of land that they were coveting.
This particular event is symptomatic of the way forested land is given away to developers. So, it is not enough for me to know that these two acres are being handed over to DB Realty. I would like to know how such things happen in the first place. I was able to stop this from happening because I got to know about it. I wonder how many such parcels of land are being given away.
In fact, while on paper the area of the Sanjay Gandhi National Park is shown as hundred and four square kilometres today, I am convinced that it is less than eighty five square kilometres.
The only way to protect the Dindoshi Hills is by merging it back into the National Park. This green haven needs to be protected. There are two beautiful waterfalls in this forest. Imagine waterfalls inside Mumbai city! Instead of preserving these, the government has allowed the river to be made into a drain by making walls on its side near the waterfall. The width of the river is less than five feet near the waterfall.
It is a completely unscientific and illogical step to make walls on mountain sides next to the river. The Dindoshi Hills house diverse flora and fauna which Mumbaikars should be able to enjoy. The land needs to be preserved for wildlife and for eco tourism.
Also read:
- Nine years of ‘Save Aarey’: The unique citizens’ movement lives on in Mumbai
- The story of Taloja Hill: Determination can move mountains and grow forests
- Environmental movements need more money, bandwidth and courage, says environmentalist