Belapur: Taking cognisance of the massive forest fire that raged across Belapur Hills from March 4 night till early next day. The Maharashtra Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) has alerted the Urban Development Department (UDD), Forest and Environment departments and sought action on the issue.

The swift response came after environmental groups raised concerns over recurring fires on the ecologically sensitive hills and appealed to CM Devendra Fadnavis seeking a high-level probe.

“The CMO has forwarded our complaint and request for an inquiry into the recurring fires to Aseem Gupta, principal secretary (urban development-1), Milind Mhaiskar, forest secretary, and Jayashree Bhoj, principal secretary (environment),” said NatConnect Foundation director B N Kumar.

The forest department has subsequently entrusted the matter to its deputy secretary, Bhagwan Sawant, an Indian Forest Service officer, for further examination.

Firefighters who battled the blaze through the night said the operation was challenging as the flames spread across a large stretch of the hill slopes and continued to rage till March 5 morning.

“We appreciate the prompt action by the CMO. Hopefully, this will be an eye-opener for officials who have been turning a blind eye to the Belapur Hills crisis despite repeated complaints and even judicial intervention,” Kumar said.

Environmental groups have for years raised alarm over alleged encroachments, illegal construction and destruction of vegetation on the hills. The loss of green cover, they warn, weakens the natural binding provided by tree roots and increases the risk of landslides during the monsoon.

“With large-scale construction and clearing of vegetation already destabilising the slopes, recurring forest fires only worsen the danger,” activist Krishnan Potti said.

“The fires appear to be sparked by vested interests aiming to grab land. Ironically, such acts also endanger the illegal temples and slum settlements that have come up on the hill slopes,” added Kapil Kulkarni of the Save Belapur Hills Forum.