Curation Team
GURUGRAM: A formal investigation into illegal construction activities in Sohna Aravalis’ Raisina Hills was ordered in light of large-scale land clearing, tree felling, and constructions in the region. Divisional commissioner Ramesh Chandar Bidhan ordered the investigation in response to a growing outcry against such activities on the land protected under the 1992 Aravali notification.
Speaking with TOI, he said that the probe will identify those responsible for encroachments and assess the extent of environmental violations. Moreover, complaints from residents revealed that earthmovers were being used to level vast patches of land, raising fears of irreversible damage to the fragile ecosystem, he said.
“We received complaints that non-forest activities were being carried out in the area. An inquiry has been initiated,” Bidhan said.
The 1992 notification, which restricts construction of buildings, wall erection, road development, and tree felling in protected areas without authorisation, prohibits all non-forest activities on ‘gair mumkin pahad’ (uncultivable) land. The Union environment ministry’s notification designates ‘gair mumkin pahar’ as protected territory where construction, electrification, and tree removal require permission.
On Dec 9, 2022, NGT instructed Haryana and Rajasthan govts to set up monitoring committees for quarterly reviews of encroachment clearance in ‘gair mumkin pahar’ areas of Gurgaon, Faridabad, Nuh, and Alwar.
The tribunal’s order, issued by a bench comprising NGT chairperson Adarsh Kumar Goel, judicial member Sudhir Agarwal, and expert members A Senthil Vel and Afroz Ahmad, instructed chief secretaries of both states to ensure compliance with the directions.
Following this, the Gurgaon district administration carried out demolitions on Nov 13, but illegal construction did not stop.
According to a forest department survey, at least 500 farmhouses were constructed illegally on Aravali land in Gurgaon, concentrated in areas like Gwalpahari, Abheypur, Gairatpur Bas, Sohna, Raisina, and Manesar.
In Sept 2021, NGT ordered govts to remove illegal structures and restore forest land, along with submitting reports on the actions taken. A list of these structures was submitted to the tribunal in the Sonya Ghosh vs State of Haryana case in 2022. The report included details of the total area occupied and their locations.
Meanwhile, according to environmentalists, the area continues to witness encroachments on a massive scale despite various demolition drives. “We require a robust mechanism to monitor sensitive zones of the Aravalis and ensure these wildlife corridors remain undisturbed. An increase in man-animal conflicts has been witnessed as trees are being felled and forest areas being transformed into urban spaces,” said Vaishali Rana, an environmental activist.
Officials of the Sohna municipal council, under whose jurisdiction Raisina falls, said, “We are conducting a demolition drive in the area and will verify if any new construction is occurring there.”
