16 illegal buildings sealed in Garhi Chaukhandi, anti-encroachment drive on

Some small structures were also cleared to lay claim over the government land that was lying vacant near the illegal buildings. Noida authority officials said a total of 15 hectares of land has been grabbed by developers in Garhi Chaukhandi area alone.

The Noida authority on Wednesday sealed 16 residential buildings, which were built illegally on government land in Garhi Chaukhandi area located near Sector 123 on Noida-Greater Noida West border.

A team of around 200 officials from the police force, district administration and the Noida authority sealed these buildings in a four-hour-long drive on Wednesday. (Sunil Ghosh/HT Photo)

Small developers had built these five-storey buildings, which were in the last stages of construction. The buildings were about to be finished.

A team of around 200 officials from the police force, district administration and the Noida authority sealed these buildings in a four-hour-long drive that will continue in future, said officials.

“These buildings have around 160 flats. We have sealed these buildings after issuing notices to the developers, who have built these structures. We have sealed these buildings because these were built in violation of rules and on land which belongs to the Noida authority. We appeal to property buyers to not invest in such illegal buildings because the authority will continue sealing drive until we are done with all such illegal structures across the city,” Rajesh Kumar Singh, officer on special duty (OSD) of the Noida authority, said.

According to the officials, a total of 15 hectares of land has been grabbed by developers in Garhi Chaukhandi area alone. The authority could not seal many other buildings, which are occupied and built on the government land. Hundreds of people are living in around a dozen illegal buildings built on the government land in Garhi Chaukhandi area.

Many people living in illegal buildings gathered at the site, where the sealing activity was underway but the police dispersed the crowd to carry out the sealing activity peacefully. Many persons, who are living in the illegal buildings, are scared as the authority has warned action on all illegal buildings.

“I bought a flat and started living here a year back. And now the authority says that the building is illegal. If this was the case then why did the authority let the builder construct the building,” Ravinder Kumar, a flat buyer in one of the illegal buildings, said.

The authority also cleared some small structures to lay claim over the government land that was lying vacant near these illegal buildings in Garhi Chaukhandi area.

The authority said that it will seal all illegal buildings in future.

“We do not want to trouble any person through our drive. Any person, who thinks that the land belongs to him then he can come to us and we will take a decision on the same accordingly. We are yet to take a decision on demolition of these buildings,” said the OSD.