Forest department demolishes wall built on reserved land in Gurugram

Forest block officer (Gurugram) Ompal Bhumbla said it was suspected that construction materials were brought through an informal channel connected to the national capital’s boundary.

Gurugram: The forest department on Thursday demolished a 300 metre-long wall during an anti-encroachment drive in sectors 4 and 5, thwarting unauthorised construction of a farmhouse on protected forest land in the Aravali region, officials said.

According to officials, notices had been issued to around 12 farmhouses located on forest land in March 2025 (Representative photo)

Forest block officer (Gurugram) Ompal Bhumbla said it was suspected that construction materials were brought through an informal channel connected to the national capital’s boundary.

Official said the action follows unauthorised construction activities in Gwal Pahari. “We received a tip-off about construction material being transported to the forest land for unauthorised borewell work on Tuesday. As per sections 4 and 5 of the Indian Forest Act, which prohibit new construction activities in forest land, the encroachments were cleared,” Bhumbla said.

Bhumbla said a Van Aparadh Report will be prepared within the next two days to decide the penalty against the suspects who had fled from the scene before Thursday’s drive. “The identities of those involved are currently being ascertained with the help of local police,” Bhumbla added.

In an extensive survey conducted in the Aravali Range, including in Gwal Pahari, forest officials identified around 500 illegal farmhouses in 2021.