(Per Sandeep V. Marne, J.)
1) For several years, the twin hill station of Lonavala-
Khandala has been the most popular weekend getaway for residents of
Mumbai and Pune, who look for quick breaks from the city chaos.
Tucked away in Sahyadri Range, this twin hill stations- just 5 kms apart-
attracts lakhs of tourists every year. During monsoon season, the region
turns into misty paradise of waterfalls, cloud covered roads and lush
green trails. However, this weekend paradise is fast losing its charm due
to rapid urbanization and tourism. As the weekend getaway became
more and more popular, with the number of tourists on a given
monsoon weekend crossing two lakh, garbage heaps and blocked
drainages became regular feature of the otherwise scenic paradise,
which started getting marred by uncontrolled constructions and lack of
basic civic amenities. This PIL Petition seeks to highlight the plight of
the local residents of Lonavala-Khandala Region and is aimed at
improving the civic amenities and regulating the construction activities
in the region.