A fire caught on the dry grass atop the parsik hill has once again caused the environment to question the lack of preparedness by authorities to prevent such an incident.

The Fire on the hill that occurred on Wednesday morning is the latest in the series of similar such incidents that is stated by activists to occur repeatedly in the area.

“During this period the hill is filled with dry grass and these catch fire easily causing large scale destruction. despite repeated warnings, no preventive measures have been taken by the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) or CIDCO,” said activist Sudhir Dani.

According to environmentalists, these fires destroy newly planted trees, causing them to wither and die while also affecting existing mature trees. Despite claims of large-scale tree plantations by NMMC over the past several years, Parsik Hill remains largely barren, raising questions about the effectiveness of afforestation efforts.

Activists related that the responsibility for maintaining Parsik Hill continues to be a matter of dispute between CIDCO and NMMC, with both agencies pointing fingers at each other. When questioned about the latest fire, the municipal corporation’s garden department was informed by activists to have responded that CIDCO has not officially transferred Parsik Hill to them, making CIDCO responsible for removing dry grass and preventing fires. “If the municipal corporation claims they have no responsibility for Parsik Hill, then why do they award contracts worth lakhs of rupees every year for tree plantation in the area? Is CIDCO incapable of funding tree plantation?” Questioned Dani.

The Sajag Nagrik Manch, a citizen group, had submitted a memorandum in December demanding the removal of dry grass to prevent fires. Activists have demanded transparency from both agencies.

“Parsik Hill and Belapur Hill act as natural lungs for Belapur residents, and their conservation is the collective responsibility of CIDCO and NMMC. Authorities need to work out an action plan to prevent repeat of the fires that cause grave damage to the ecosystem,” said the activist.