The state government will soon undertake a mapping exercise at the Sanjay Gandhi National Park in Borivli to manage encroachments and for fixing responsibility of illegal constructions on forest land.
The state’s forest minister Patangrao Kadam made the announcement on Thursday, but said the forest department will “sympathetically consider” the regularisation of illegal buildings on forest land.
The issue came up for discussion in the state assembly after Pravin Darekar of the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) demanded action against builders who have violated forest land norms and left many residents to suffer.
Nawab Malik of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) alleged that the then in-charge of the national park had made changed in the park’s maps to facilitate builders.
After hearing out Darekar and Malik, Kadam announced that the mapping and the measurement procedure for the 103 square kilometer area of the national park will be completed in three months.
“The procedure will be completed in three months using advanced technology. Action would be taken against all officers, if they are found guilty,” the minister said.
Minister of state for forest Bhaskar Jadhav added that his department has already successfully evacuated 52,000 hutments from the national park. “Of the remaining 9,000 hutments, those prior to 1995 will be rehabilitated in due course. There are no illegal structures existing on national park land,” Jadhav said.
