1,100 acres, many constructions — a tough challenge to remove them from Punjab Land Preservation Act land

Team Saathi (National Alliance of People's Movements),

By Ipsita Pati, The Times of India. Read it here.

Excerpt:

Former forest conservator RP Balwan told TOI, “There are several residential colonies that are on this land and will face the consequences as buildings have to be demolished in line with the SC order. There are residential areas in Badkhal, Pali, Dhoj, Lakadpur, Mewla areas in Faridabad. While in Gurgaon, there are residential colonies in Sohna and Manesar built on such land. Implementing the SC order will be a difficult task.”

“It will take 20 days to start removing encroachments from forest areas. We will be sending fresh notices from next week,” said a senior official from the district administration of Faridabad.

Environmentalists said they were hopeful after the SC order about the restoration of PLPA land. PLPA was enacted to protect the foothills and stop soil erosion in areas prone to environmental degradation. “Some sporadic demolitions of farmhouses and banquet halls were done after the October 2018 NGT order, and a few were razed last year. Hopefully, the Aravalis will be lucky the third time,” said Lt Col Sarvadaman Singh Oberoi (retd), an activist.

Published by Team Saathi (National Alliance of People's Movements)

We are a group of activists and academics working in the field of environment, housing and informality who came together to join Khori Gaon residents in their long fight for justice. This collaboration we have undertaken with the residents is called Saathi which means comrade in Hindi.