This story is from January 23, 2020

Faridabad DM orders demolition in Aravalis but no action yet

Even though Faridabad administration ordered demolition of illegal structures in the Aravalis for January 16, no demolition has been carried out yet.
Faridabad DM orders demolition in Aravalis but no action yet
GURUGRAM: Even though Faridabad administration ordered demolition of illegal structures in the Aravalis for January 16, no demolition has been carried out yet.
Officials of the forest department said that the district administration officials didn’t turn up for the demolition. The district administration, in turn, said that the forest department was supposed to lead the demolition.
“We have already provided a list of 45 illegal constructions in the Aravalis to the duty magistrate appointed by the authorities. We have no idea why the demolition was not carried. We will send them a request again,” said a forest official.
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The district magistrate had appointed joint commissioner Prashant Atkaan as duty magistrate for maintaining law and order during the demolition drive. The move came after a group of activists, on January 12, went around the Aravalis to get the first-hand experience of the damage done to the forest by encroachments. After spending a few hours, they found at least 15 sites had been illegally occupied and structures were also constructed on them. The areas where most of the encroachments were found were Ankheer, Badkal and Mangar.
Activists accused the authorities of conniving with the land mafia to allow them to take over land in protected Aravali land, and not taking necessary action to curb this malpractice.
“It seems that everybody is hand in glove with the land mafia. The departments are clearly under pressure and being bribed to delay demolitions. These delaying tactics are causing irreversible damage to the eco-sensitive Aravalis,” said Vishnu Goyal, a resident of Faridabad, who has been filing complaints against illegal encroachments in the area.

According to sources, the forest department had sent a list of 92 individuals who have encroached upon protected land spread over 500 acres. The letter to the district administration also mentioned the complaints of mining against the landowners of these illegally acquired plots. Villages like Ankheer and Mewla Maharajpur, where encroachment is rampant, were named in this letter.
The district magistrate of Faridabad has ordered the demolition of illegal structures in Ankheer village in the Aravalis. The structures included farmhouses and cricket academies. At most of the places, boundary walls have been constructed and the land has been levelled.
No non-forest activity is permitted in the area, as it falls under Sections 4 and 5 of the Punjab Land Protection Act (PLPA), 1900. Also, encroachment in the area that lies within a one kilometre radius from Asola Bhatti wildlife sanctuary (of Delhi) can lead to disturbance to the flora and fauna inside the sanctuary, and thus, is unsafe.
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