Haryana cracks down on illegal structures

The Haryana Forest department on Monday launched a demolition drive around the Aravali Hills along Faridabad Road and removed illegal structures like mobile cell towers, liquor vends and food outlets.

The Haryana Forest department on Monday launched a demolition drive around the Aravali Hills along Faridabad Road and removed illegal structures like mobile cell towers, liquor vends and food outlets (dhabas).

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Forest officials said that the area was closed under Sections 4 and 5 for the Punjab Land Preservation Act and no other activity was allowed.

Accompanied by a police contingent, over 70 officials of the Haryana Forest Department launched the offensive on Monday afternoon.

According to forest range officer Devender Rao, owners of three food outlets, mobile cell towers and liquor vends were earlier sent notices to remove their structures from the forestland but no one responded. They were told that they were occupying the land illegally in violation of the Indian Forest Act and Forest Conservation Act.