Demonstrating a spontaneous response, hundreds of locals formed a human chain at CBD Belapur in Navi Mumbai on Sunday morning to protest against the inaction of officials regarding the massive encroachment on the landslide-prone Belapur Hill slopes, despite directives from the judiciary and government.

As many as 30 religious structures have been built on the hill slopes, occupying 2.3 lakh square feet of land, which the city planner CIDCO (City and Industrial Development Corporation) has termed illegal and has issued demolition notices, according to NatConnect Foundation. CIDCO itself has admitted that the structures must be razed, as per a Supreme Court order from 2009, which banned temples, churches, mosques, and gurudwaras in public places.