Kharghar: Navi Mumbai marked International Mountain Day with a strong call to protect its rapidly disappearing hills under the banner “Save Our Vanishing Hills.” Two key events, an awareness campaign for the Pandavkada Waterfalls and an uphill cycling rally, led the city’s observance.

Organised by the Kharghar Wetlands and Hills Forum, Anubhuti365days, NatConnect Foundation, the Forest Department–Panvel, and Panvel Municipal Corporation, the campaign highlighted the ecological value of local hills amid global concerns over glacier loss in 2025, the UN’s International Year of Glaciers’ Preservation.

Environmentalists warned that unchecked quarrying, indiscriminate levelling, and aggressive real-estate development were destroying hills that took millions of years to form. NatConnect Foundation’s B N Kumar urged authorities to declare all local hill ranges as strict no-development zones to prevent irrevocable damage.

Jyoti Nadkarni, convenor of the wetlands forum, emphasised the dual role of the Pandavkada Waterfall as a vital water source and a potential eco-tourism destination. She advocated constructing a holding pond to conserve monsoon runoff currently lost to the sea.

The day’s programme included biodiversity awareness sessions and a photographic exhibition showcasing the Kharghar hills’ natural beauty and cultural heritage. A signature petition called for protecting the region’s hillscape.

The campaign continues on Sunday, 14 December, with a cycling rally from Utsav Chowk to Fanaswadi, including a tandem bike ride by a visually impaired cyclist, symbolising resilience and inclusion. Riders will engage with local Adivasi communities to learn traditional hill conservation methods.

Anubhuti365days director Sudeep Athavale reminded citizens that safeguarding mountains is essential to sustaining life on Earth.