Reforestation plan fails to take off, threat of encroachments looms large

Bijendra Ahlawat

Faridabad, June 29

The proposed reforestation plan on around 150 acres of land freed from alleged encroachments at Khori village colony in Surajkund area of the district in June 2021 is yet to take wings.

Failure of the authorities

The authorities of the MCF and the Forest Department, which were expected to take up intensive plantation as part of the forest revival, have failed to take up the project, leaving it susceptible to land mafia. — Vishnu Goel, social activist

While the Forest Department and the Municipal Corporation Faridabad (MCF) had demolished over 9,500 residential structures, including jhuggis, permanent structures and kuccha houses, that had come up in violation of the forest norms, the reforestation plan has failed to take off, perhaps due to the paucity of funds and clearcut planning, claim sources in the district administration.

“As there is no ongoing work for the revival of the forest or greenery of the land falling close to the Delhi border, it continues to face a threat of fresh encroachments or unauthorised constructions,” said an official. Keeping a round the clock vigil is impossible, so the civic body has to remove the shanties that keep reappearing after every five-six months, he said.

He said the re-emergence of illegal structures has become a routine affair as the land had been lying vacant and unused for three years. “Several families who had lost their houses were still pitching in the area in temporary shelters as they are unable to afford rented accommodation in an authorised colony,” said Pritam Kumar, who lost his house here in July 2021.

“The authorities of the MCF and the Forest Department which were expected to take up intensive plantation as part of the forest revival have failed to take up the project, leaving it susceptible to land mafia,” says Vishnu Goel, a social activist. Sources in the MCF, however, claim the project of developing a herbal garden-cum-park in the area has failed to materialise perhaps due to the unavailability of the required funds and roping in of a private company. A plan to plant 30,000 trees had to be shelved in view of the proposal of the MCF to develop a garden, it is claimed.

This particular stretch of the land falls under the PLPA (Punjab Land Preservation Act) or Forest Act, in the wake of the Supreme Court order, according to officials. Located adjacent to the border with Delhi, the land belongs to the MCF.

Chief Engineer Birender Kardam said the plan to develop a multipurpose garden on outsourcing basis that involves an amount of Rs 25 crore is yet to get through.