Encroachment on Saket forest area, DDA tells NGT

HT visited the forest patch on Thursday, through a broken boundary wall barely 20 metres from the rear of the Press Enclave society, observing fresh graves on both sides of the forest patch. Another 50 metres inside, hundreds of jhuggis could be seen, which included large spaces where municipal waste was being piled up and segregated.

The Delhi Development Authority (DDA) has informed the National Green Tribunal (NGT) that there are encroachments — a graveyard, scrap selling area, several jhuggies — in a forest patch along the Press Enclave road in Saket.

The NGT had taken suo motu cognisance of a Hindi news report in June last year, highlighting that over 500 jhuggis had occupied this nearly six-acre forest patch in Saket

The NGT had taken suo motu cognisance of a Hindi news report in June last year, highlighting that over 500 jhuggis had occupied this nearly six-acre forest patch in Saket. The article also flagged instances of waste burning, adding that encroachers were also trying to build permanent houses in the forest. In its order dated June 25, 2024 the NGT had issued notices to agencies, seeking a report on action taken.

DDA — who owns the forest land — said it carried out an inspection of the area, finding unauthorised constructions, but is unable to take immediate action due to ongoing court cases for the same patch of land.

In its report dated May 21 and uploaded on September 25, DDA stated an inspection was carried out by officers from the Delhi government and DDA on February 13 this year.

“...upon inspection, it was observed that unauthorised construction exists in the form of a kabristan (graveyard). There are also encroachments in the form of temporary sheds, and certain areas have been occupied by kabadiwalas and a few jhuggis have been illegally erected,” said the submission.

DDA said, as per land records available, the Ministry of Rehabilitation had transferred the said land to the civic body in 1979.

In the report, DDA admitted it had made multiple attempts to carry out demolition of these encroachments between 2014-15, but was unable to get the requisite police force required. In 2015, a case was filed in the Saket district court, wherein a stay order was issued for the demolition.

“Earlier, a demolition proforma had been prepared along with a site plan, which was approved by the competent authority, and accordingly a demolition program was scheduled for August 28, 2014. However as police support for the planned demolition could not be made available, the demolition could not be conducted..” the report shared, stating that subsequent demolition drives, planned on December 8, 2014, February 17, 2015 and March 30, 2015 could not take place.

HT visited the forest patch on Thursday, through a broken boundary wall barely 20 metres from the rear of the Press Enclave society, observing fresh graves on both sides of the forest patch. Another 50 metres inside, hundreds of jhuggis could be seen, which included large spaces where municipal waste was being piled up and segregated.

Ajay Sud, president of the Press Enclave RWA said waste is regularly being burnt in the area, with instances of forest fires also reported by them. “This is an encroachment which poses risk to the forest, as well as residents. There are at least 1,000 jhuggis inside and they are only growing further,” Sud said.

In the early hours of September 22 – at around 2 am, four men broke into the society by cutting a boundary wall from the forest side. The incident was captured on CCTV camera of the society, where they were seen cutting the barbed wire fencing towards Ekta Apartments and jumping there.

Nalini Mohan, a resident of the society since 1984, said despite clear violations, the jhuggis continue to grow in number. “The recent incident highlights a major security risk. Agencies, including DDA, need to act swiftly,” she said.