Officials want forest marked to stop encroachments

The Gurugram forest department wrote to the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG) on Thursday requesting for demarcation of a forest boundary at Haiderpur Viran

The Gurugram forest department wrote to the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG) on Thursday requesting for demarcation of a forest boundary at Haiderpur Viran to protect the forest land from continuous encroachments.

HT Image

The letter mentioned two encroachments — one encroachment attempt that took place recently, in which the forest took action, and another case of encroachment that took place at its periphery five to six years ago that is still in dispute as the persons who encroached upon the land are claiming ownership.

The forest area is locked by the Gurugram-Faridabad Road on one side and the Golf Course Road on the other, spread roughly over an area of 5KM x 1KM. The rectangular area is recorded as Haiderpur Viran — a part of the Aravalli hills that has a high commercial value — as per forest records.

Karambir Singh Malik, forest range officer, said, “There are clear encroachments of forest land on its periphery at Haiderpur Viran, as we have seen on the ground. But demarcation of its boundary is essential by the MCG since forest land of Haiderpur Viran belongs to the corporation. After demarcation, the encroachments will become clear since the people who have done the encroachments claim that the land in question belongs to them. We have requested the MCG to order demarcation of the land.”

Malik said he has received similar complaints from other forest areas also.

After panchayats were dissolved in 2008, the MCG became the custodian authority of the panchayat lands, including forest lands, under sections 4 and 5 of the Punjab Land Preservation Act (PLPA), as per which the forest department can take action against persons for felling trees.

“The MCG, being the custodian authority of land, needs to demarcate its land and remove encroachments,” said Malik.

Gwal Pahari, Ghata, Wazirabad, Nathupur, Sikandarpur, Damadama and many other villages, where protected forest land is available, are facing encroachment threats and activists have been raising the issue from time to time.

Prem Singh Tanwar, a social activist who lives in Gwal Pahari, said, “Forest areas at Haiderpur Viran and Ghata are under encroachments and the administration needs to remove them. The MCG should put proper fencing at the periphery. The Faridabad deputy commissioner carried out an exercise recently to identify encroachments of forest land and removed them all. We want a similar exercise from the Gurugram administration.”

Activists also want the creation of an environmental task force to keep a check on illegal non-forest activities. “Encroachment of forest areas, tree felling and waste dumping inside the Aravalli forest are continuing. We have been writing to the MCG, for three years, for the creation of an environment task force-like wing,” said Tanwar.

The forest department recently lodged a forest offence report against two locals for felling trees at Haiderpur Viran and burying hundreds of trees by dumping earth over them, in an attempt to remove the forest sign and use the land for their personal benefit.

Vinay Pratap Singh, MCG commissioner, said, “I will look into the issue and take appropriate action certainly to protect the forests.”