Illegal buildings near religious site in protected Aravalis to face demolition

Gurgaon: New permanent constructions raised around an old religious shrine in the Badkhal Aravalis have come under scrutiny, with the forest department issuing demolition notices for violating protections under Punjab Land Preservation Act (PLPA).Officials said the shrine itself is decades old, but fresh additions, including a cemented dharamshala and other built-up portions, were made recently without permission on land legally treated as forest.
The site falls under sections 4 and 5 of PLPA, provisions that restrict all non-forest activity. Once land is notified under these sections, it is classified as "forest", where construction requires clearance. Forest officials said the violations were found during a routine inspection. "During an inspection, it was observed that new cemented structures came up around the old religious site. These are not part of the original shrine and were constructed without permission on protected forest land," Faridabad divisional forest officer Jhalkar Uyake told TOI."We issued notices to those managing the premises and gave them time to remove the illegal structures. If they do not comply, we will take action as per the law," the officer added. Locals said the expansion happened gradually. "The shrine has been here for as long as I can remember, but the new rooms and boundary walls started coming up only recently," said Rajinder Bhadana, a resident of Ankhir. "This is forest land and it should be protected."Environmental groups said the issue reflects years of weak enforcement. "Encroachment around religious sites is one of the most common ways the Aravalis are slowly eaten away," said environmentalist Sunil Harsana. "People add one small room, then another, and soon it becomes a full-fledged structure. If the govt does not act quickly, these forests will be permanently lost," he said.Supreme Court's July 2022 directions required Haryana to identify and remove all illegal constructions on Aravali land notified under PLPA. Despite this, encroachments remain widespread across Ankhir, Anangpur, Lakkarpur and Mewla Maharajpur. Officials admit that only a fraction was cleared so far because of the terrain, litigation and resistance from local groups."Our teams are carrying out inspections across the forest belt. Wherever we find violations, action is being taken in line with Supreme Court order," DFO Uyake said.Officials said the latest notices in Badkhal are part of a phased effort to restore forest land and prevent further damage to the fragile Aravali ecosystem. Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with Holi wishes, messages and quotes !