19 months on, forest revival at Faridabad's Khori colony yet to take off

Tribune News Service

Faridabad, January 18

The proposed revival of the forest zone in Khori village in Surajkund area here has failed to start even after 19 months of the removal of unauthorised residential structures from the colony.

The project was scheduled to take off soon after clearance of the buildings and its rubble from the region, according to district officials.

The Municipal Corporation of Faridabad (MC) had removed 9,500 structures consisting mainly of houses in the colony, which had come up illegally over the years on land that comes under the Punjab Land Preservation Act (PLPA) in June 2021 in the wake of a Supreme Court order.

Located adjacent to the border with Delhi, the land belongs to the MC. “The Forest Department, which was expected to take up plantation as part of the forest revival on the recovered land, is yet to come up with the project as the removal of debris from the area is pending,” claims an official.

The failure to rehabilitate the affected residents has made many of them stick to the same place despite repeat demolitions, he said. Many are still residing in tented or makeshift shelters close to the rubble.

“With several families still staying here, many have returned as living here is more affordable than a rented accommodation nearby,” says Pritam Kumar, one of those who lost his house in the demolition drive.

Revealing that he is among hundreds of families who had shifted to a rented accommodation in neighbouring colonies located inside Delhi border, he said the failure of the administration to provide alternative housing facilities has led to the problem, forcing many to live in temporary shelters in Khori colony itself.

Deputy Commissioner Vikram Singh said that while plantation is proposed to be taken up under the CSR initiative on about 100 acres here, the civic authorities have been asked to clear the debris from the area as soon as possible. He said encroachments, if any, will also be removed as per the provisions.

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