Faridabad: Despite Supreme Court directions in 2022 to demolish all illegal buildings on protected Aravalis, more of the hills are instead getting colonised. In Anangpur, TOI on Tuesday found construction on 35 acres and plots being openly sold for Rs 12,000-14,000 per square yard on land that is protected under sections 4 and 5 of PLPA, and is within a 200-metre no-construction buffer zone of 1,100-year-old Anangpur dam–Suraj Jheel complex protected by Archaeological Survey of India (ASI). Some areas of the forestland are also classified as ‘gair mumkin pahar' (uncultivable hill).
Villagers have written to chief minister Nayab Singh Saini about new encroachments. Surveys and an SC-appointed committee have pointed out nearly 6,000 violations in Anangpur, which is one of the hotspots of Aravali violations.
The visit by TOI revealed land around the dam being subdivided into plots and houses. Despite the restrictions, boundary walls, stone-paved platforms, and farmhouses have appeared close to the dam precinct. Several structures look recent, with fresh stonework and building material still on the site. "This was forest land, and it's not for sale. It is right at the edge of the protected site where any kind of construction is barred," said UD Gujjar, a resident of Anangpur.
Residents also reported electricity theft in the encroached areas. "When the forest department carried out demolition drives last year, illegal electricity poles were removed, but power connections were later restored illegally to support ongoing construction," said Rahul Bhadana, another resident.
Villagers said enforcement over past five years has been inconsistent, allowing construction to restart soon after demolition teams leave. They wrote to the chief minister, director general of ASI, and Faridabad deputy commissioner, seeking urgent intervention to halt construction and protect the dam's precincts.
In a letter sent to ASI in Jan, villager Rahul Bhadana flagged encroachment at Anangpur dam. "Boundary walls, guard houses and houses were being built in violation of ASI rules, which prohibit construction within 100 metres of a protected monument and restrict it up to 200 metres beyond that," he alleged, urging the department to safeguard the dam and ensure protection of the listed monument.
TOI found several brick structures in partial stages of construction. The terrain shows a shift from forested landscape to semi-urban sprawl, with fencing and new development pushing into the green cover.
The legal position is unambiguous. Under Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, 1958 (AMASR Act), as amended in 2010, construction is strictly prohibited within 100 metres of a protected monument. The 100–200m belt is a regulated zone that requires prior clearance from National Monuments Authority and ASI, with large projects such as dams or farmhouses rarely permitted. Beyond 200 metres, clearance may not be mandatory, but courts have repeatedly held that indirect harm — such as submergence, vibrations, or associated work — can also amount to a violation.
After the 2022 order, Haryana govt conducted a survey and found 6,793 illegal structures —mostly banquet halls and residential settlements — on protected PLPA land across four Faridabad villages. Most were in Anangpur (5,948), with the rest in Ankhir, Lakkarpur, and Mewla Maharajpur. In Sept, the SC-appointed Central Empowered Committee (CEC) reported at least 5,800 houses spread over 168 acres of forest land in Anangpur. The committee was asked to review compliance after the court observed that "the process of implementation has been very slow."
Despite these findings, enforcement remained limited. "Only a fraction of encroachments was removed. A number of structures on forest land still exist in these four villages of Faridabad. The SC's orders and AMASR Act were meant to protect the Aravalis and monuments like the Anangpur dam from further damage. But Anangpur shows how, even after clear directions from the country's highest court and binding law, illegal construction is rampant instead of being removed," said Sunil Harsana, an ecologist.
The forest department said it would examine the issue. "We will check how much area comes under PLPA and how much is ‘gair mumkin pahar' and agricultural land," said Faridabad divisional forest officer Jhalkar Uyake.
Lt Col (retd) Sarvadaman Oberoi said protecting the Aravalis in Haryana remains difficult because many hill tracts are not classified as forest land. "Therefore, it falls outside the forest department's jurisdiction. Less than half of the Aravalis in the state are protected through court-backed instruments such as PLPA orders and Aravali Notification of 1992, leaving about 55,000 hectares without green cover," he added.
When contacted by TOI, an ASI official said, "We will look into the matter."
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