News: Raze and rebuild cycle of farmhouses ensures Raisina never heals-28-07-2024
Barely two weeks after the district administration demolished illegal farmhouses at Ansals Aravali Retreat in Raisina, reconstruction is going on in full swing, a TOI visit to the area this weekend revealed.
It's not just razed buildings that are being rebuilt. More protected land has been cleared, new roads have come up, and electricity poles are being erected. On the lane starting from farmhouse number C-117, more concrete structures have already been constructed, with work on three more set to begin soon. The area, locals said, has witnessed a cycle of demolition and reconstruction over the years.
"Several farmhouses which were demolished earlier have already been rebuilt, while the ones that were razed 15 days ago are being reconstructed," said Bholu, a security guard posted at one of the farmhouses. Construction is on at 12 plots, where 5-6 borewells are being dug and roads being laid.
Land prices in the area have increased because of demand for a piece of picturesque Raisina, which is surrounded by lush green hills. "This is nothing unusual. Every time after demolition, repair work starts and some even construct new buildings. This is a cycle and people have developed resistance to these kinds of activities," Pradeep Singh, a resident of Raisina, said.
Gokul, a local, said many people are buying land in the area even though they know that govt has prohibited construction and demolished numerous illegal structures, including farmhouses and boundary walls, in the past.
Land here is classified as 'gair mumkin pahar' and is protected under the Punjab Land Preservation Act (PLPA) and the Aravali Notification of 1992, which prohibits construction and tree felling without mandatory permission from the authorities.TOI also noticed that some farmhouse owners are pasting court orders on the gates with intention to inform the district administration that their properties can't be demolished as they have received court relief. There are, however, no court orders to that effect.
The Sohna court has only underlined that due procedure should be followed and ordered the municipal council to submit geo-tagged pictures of violations before carrying out demolition drives.The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has directed Haryana and Rajasthan govts to set up a monitoring committee and conduct periodic reviews until all encroachments are cleared from the Aravalis in Gurgaon, Faridabad, Nuh and Alwar, restore forestland and submit action-taken reports.
A detailed list of these structures was submitted to NGT in the Sonya Ghosh vs. state of Haryana case last year. The report also had details of the total area occupied by encroachers and their locations.
A forest department survey has revealed that at least 500 farmhouses have been built illegally on the Aravali land in Gurgaon. The Gurgaon administration in 2020 had replaced the term 'gair mumkin pahar' with 'gair mumkin farmhouse' which found its way into revenue records, and helped farmhouse owners skirt provisions of the Aravali Notification.
Environmentalists have expressed concerns over continued encroachments in the area despite numerous demolition drives. Col SS Oberoi (retd) said, "Despite orders of NGT in Oct 2018 to remove encroachments and restore forests in the Aravalis, construction has only increased in Raisina due to delayed action of the district administration." Forest analyst Chetan Agarwal emphasised the importance of the Raisina hills and Aravali Retreat as a wildlife corridor between Sariska National Park and Asola Bhatti Wildlife Sanctuary, highlighting the need for conservation and removal of illegal structures and activities.
