Encroachment of Neb Sarai forest land continues despite National Green Tribunal demolish orders

NEW DELHI: Encroachment continues unabated in sections of the capital’s reserve forest despite orders from the National Green Tribunal to demolish the illegally built houses and barricade the forest land in the Neb Sarai area of the city.

Instead of demolishing the illegally built houses on the forest land in the nearly six months since the green court passed its order, construction activity in the area has picked up speed. Afive-storey building was constructed in a record time of one month.

Construction in six plots, all within the reserve forest area, was taken up following the November order of the tribunal. Neither has the Delhi government nor other agencies such as the DDA submitted a status report on the action taken to restore the forest area to the tribunal.

Water and sewage lines have been laid in the forest area, which is also a violation. Pavitra Singh, a local resident and activist, had filed a complaint to the National Green Tribunal, pointing out that the land mafia and builders had encroached on land that belonged to the Delhi government’s Department of Forests and Wildlife and that trees were being felled in violation of the Indian Forest Act to build apartment complexes on the land. The November order of the tribunal gave the Delhi government 12 weeks to barricade the reserve forest.