Fire in Dindoshi hills near SGNP; greens allege foul play

NGO Vanshakti alleges it was act of sabotage planned by developers; writes to officials for detailed probe

- Devashri Bhujbal

A major fire broke out on Dindoshi hills opposite Infinity IT Park in Goregaon East on Sunday at 12.14 a.m. The blaze engulfed around 1.5 km area of the hill, which is adjacent to the Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP) and falls under the eco-sensitive zone.

The section of the land that caught fire is a private property, with a wall dividing it from the SGNP area.

Although the fire was extinguished before midnight and no injuries were reported, the environmentalists smelled foul play on the part of developers. NGO Vanshakti director Stalin D alleged that the fire was neither accidental nor natural, instead a deliberate act to kill the vegetation near the SGNP so that the land can be commercialised.