Panchkula residents remove road berm encroachments following HSVP notices

Panchkula: Following eviction notices from the Haryana Shehri Vikas Pradhikaran (HSVP), many Panchkula residents have begun voluntarily dismantling illegal structures outside their homes. Acting on a Punjab and Haryana high court order, the HSVP is conducting a phased survey and issuing strict seven-day ultimatums to remove unauthorised installations on road berms. Failure to comply carries threats of forced demolition and recovery of eviction costs from the property owners.

The official notices target unauthorised possessions on govt land, specifically citing the erection of iron grilles, gates, barbed wire fencing, and toe walls over road berms. In response, residents have started removing boundary hedges, greenery, and grilles. While many locals welcome the anti-encroachment drive, they have demanded that the campaign be executed uniformly without any administrative bias.

Significant public confusion and concern remain regarding the post-demolition maintenance of these public spaces. Residents have criticised the HSVP for lacking a visible blueprint, warning that without a clear plan, the cleared areas could turn into unkempt patches of wild weeds, garbage dumps, or sites for open defecation during the upcoming monsoon. Furthermore, questions have been raised about how newly cleared corner spaces and plantations will be protected from stray cattle and dogs once protective fencing is banned.

Practical accessibility issues are also causing concern among homeowners. Residents are questioning how they will safely access their houses if entry ramps are demolished, especially where properties sit at different levels than the main road. The public is urging the HSVP to issue formal, comprehensive guidelines defining exactly what is permitted on cleared spaces and how these zones will be managed.

In response to the growing public anxiety, Ward No. 12 councillor Rakesh Jagota has stepped in to demand corrective measures from the HSVP. In a communication to the authority, Jagota requested a 15-day buffer period to halt immediate punitive or demolition actions, allowing residents adequate time to present their case and rectify their properties. He also urged the HSVP to issue an official press release explicitly defining the legal house boundary line versus the encroachment zone to eliminate public confusion, while calling for strict disciplinary action against staff members who mistreated citizens.