top of page

By:

Quaid Najmi

4 January 2025 at 8:56:24 pm

Aaditya bats for ‘truth’

Mumbai: Two days after the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) registered a FIR in the Disha Salian case, Shiv Sena (UBT) MLA and ex-Minister Aaditya Thackeray broke his silence – to proclaim that he would “fight for truth and against injustice”, here on Wednesday. “For the sake of truth, against injustice, our fight will continue,” vowed Aditya, daring his opponents that all attempts to silence him through ‘politically motivated character assassination’ will not succeed. Thackeray Jr’s...

Aaditya bats for ‘truth’

Mumbai: Two days after the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) registered a FIR in the Disha Salian case, Shiv Sena (UBT) MLA and ex-Minister Aaditya Thackeray broke his silence – to proclaim that he would “fight for truth and against injustice”, here on Wednesday. “For the sake of truth, against injustice, our fight will continue,” vowed Aditya, daring his opponents that all attempts to silence him through ‘politically motivated character assassination’ will not succeed. Thackeray Jr’s assertion came after the CBI recorded the statement of Disha Salian’s father Satish Salian as per the September 2 directives of the Bombay High Court handing over the case probe to the central agency. Taking to X today, Aaditya said: “To stop the dust of rumors once again, I'm stating only and only the facts! Let’s cut through the noise and talk facts, once again. I have never met Disha Salian, nor did I have any acquaintance with her, or have known her." Nevertheless, Aaditya said that for the past six years, due to political motives arising out of personal enmity and with the intent of character assassination, “some people have been deliberately trying to link my name to this unfortunate incident repeatedly, despite there being no evidence or connection whatsoever”. With an apparent tinge of regret, the SS (UBT) MLA said that the false discussions on television channels and media trials carried out through empty bluster cannot alter the truth. “Loud TV debates and media trials do not change the facts. Let the official re-investigation proceed without malicious distractions and relentless smear campaigns run by vested interests without a single shred of evidence and truth is highly unfortunate,” Aaditya said. The controversy dates back to June 2020, when Disha Salian, 28, a celebrity manager who had worked with the late actor Sushant Singh Rajput, died after falling from a high-rise building in Malad. The Mumbai Police initially investigated the death as an accidental-death matter and subsequently concluded there was no foul play. Later however, her father Satish Salian challenged the handling of the case and sought a fresh investigation. Allowing his plea, the high court ordered the CBI to register an FIR and conduct a substantive investigation with an open mind into the circumstances surrounding her death. Crucially, the court also stated that it was not making findings against any individual and directed that no person be treated as an accused unless material emerged during investigations.

Relentless blasting threatens Kharghar hills

Writer: Bhalchandra Chorghade
Bhalchandra Chorghade
Jul 18
3 min read

Greens send SOS to CM

Navi Mumbai: Environmental groups and residents have urged Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to immediately intervene and halt what they describe as relentless hill blasting for a real estate project in Kharghar, warning that continued excavation could cause irreversible ecological damage and heighten the risk of landslides during the ongoing monsoon.


In a representation submitted to the Chief Minister, the NatConnect Foundation and the Save Kharghar Ecology Forum alleged that large-scale blasting and excavation have continued unabated despite persistent rainfall. The groups claimed that the pace of hill cutting suggests an attempt to flatten the biodiversity-rich terrain before regulatory intervention can take place.


The environmentalists argued that the Kharghar hills form an integral part of Navi Mumbai's ecological framework, serving as a natural water catchment, groundwater recharge zone, biodiversity habitat and climate buffer. According to them, indiscriminate destruction of the hills would permanently alter the region's natural landscape and weaken its resilience to rapid urbanisation and extreme weather events.


"Kharghar's hills are part of Navi Mumbai's ecological life-support system. We have already witnessed extensive damage from earlier quarrying. Allowing fresh blasting to continue will permanently destroy a landscape that can never be recreated," said B N Kumar, Director of the NatConnect Foundation, while appealing to the Chief Minister for immediate intervention.


Quarrying Activity

The activists pointed out that the latest excavation comes after years of quarrying activity behind Tata Memorial Hospital, which they said had already scarred large portions of the hill range. Instead of restoring the degraded terrain, another section of the hill is now being cut for a real estate project, they alleged.


Jyoti Nair, Green Building and Sustainability Consultant and Convenor of the Save Kharghar Ecology Forum, said the work has continued even during heavy monsoon showers.


"Blasting has continued unabated despite heavy monsoon rains, giving the impression that there is a rush to flatten the hills before effective intervention can take place. Every day of delay means more irreversible damage," she said.


According to the memorandum, residents have witnessed frequent blasting and rapid excavation over the past several days, with entire hill slopes being removed at an alarming pace. The groups contend that the hills play a crucial role in absorbing rainwater, recharging groundwater, preventing soil erosion, regulating local temperatures and supporting native flora and fauna.


Kumar, who also leads the Climate Action Now (CAN) initiative of NatConnect, stressed that these natural functions cannot be replaced through engineered solutions. "These hills are natural infrastructure. They absorb rainfall, recharge groundwater, support biodiversity and regulate local temperatures. Once blasted away, no amount of engineering can replace the ecological services they provide," he said.


Impact Assessment

The representation has sought an immediate suspension of all blasting and excavation activities, an independent review of project approvals, verification of compliance with environmental safeguards and a cumulative environmental impact assessment covering successive hill-cutting activities in Kharghar.


Expressing concern over public safety, Kumar warned that indiscriminate hill blasting during the monsoon could destabilise slopes and increase the likelihood of landslides. "Ironically, the very project for which the hill is being blasted could itself face geotechnical risks if slope stability is compromised. We seem to have learnt little from the devastating landslides in Wayanad and Irshalwadi," he said.


The environmental groups have appealed to the state government to act urgently, arguing that preserving the remaining Kharghar hills is essential not only for biodiversity conservation but also for protecting Navi Mumbai's long-term environmental sustainability and disaster resilience.

Comments

bottom of page