Public notice issued to clear illegal construction across forest land in Faridabad

According to officials, the illegal constructions include farmhouses and unauthorised constructions in notified areas of Mewla, Maharajpur, Ankheer, Badkhal, Anangpur, Ladakpur, Bhankri, Pali, Dhauj, Mangar, Silakhri, Kot and Sirohi, Khori Jamalpur, and Gotha Mohtabad.

“Through the public notice, directions have been given to remove all illegal construction from forest land. If permission has been obtained from any government department agency for any non-forest activity conducted in forest land or for construction of any structure, this should be brought to the attention of this office,” said Kumar.

“If violators fail to remove the illegal encroachment within five days, action will be initiated on our part to remove these without further reference to the violators. All costs incurred in their removal and restoration of the area would be recovered from the violator,” he said.

On July 28, officials from the Faridabad administration had stated that after clearing “encroachments” from “forest land” in Khori village, they would take similar action against all “illegal structures” in the Aravalli forest area and PLPA notified land, with the forest department operating as the nodal department in the matter.

Officials had said around 5,430 hectares of land in Faridabad have been notified under the PLPA, and there is encroachment on around 500 hectares with “130-140 illegal constructions” identified on this land.

The Faridabad Metropolitan Development Authority (FMDA) has, meanwhile, started a movement to “promote environment protection, clean environment, and greenery”, as part of which it is focusing on planting saplings in various vacant places in the district, “especially vacated forest land in Khori area”. For this purpose, officials from the authority have appealed to people to come forward and join their “campaign” by providing “financial assistance, donating plants, or adopting vacant places”.

“Anyone who wants to be associated with the campaign can give a missed call on the number 011-40844855. After this, FMDA officials will contact them,” said Garima Mittal, Additional Chief Executive Officer of the FMDA.