The reserved forest area in South Delhi’s ridge in Neb Sarai is gradually turning into a concrete jungle. Allegedly, illegal construction is taking place under the nose of the authorities concerned, despite an adverse order from the Supreme Court, the Delhi High Court and more recently, the National Green Tribunal.
A huge forest cover has been cleared and 'jhuggis' are visible in the area, which, sources said, may soon be taken over by builders to build multi-storied residential apartments.
According to government sources, there was some human habitation in the area and the land belonged to the Gram Sabha.
However, the Supreme Court, in March 1996, directed that uncultivated surplus land of the Gaon Sabha falling in "ridge" be excluded from vesting in Gaon Sabha and be made available for the purpose of creation of Reserved Forest. A notification was issued in compliance of that order too.
Various parties, including the Freedom Fighters Social Welfare Association, moved the High Court against the notification but were denied relief and the court directed removal of all encroachments in 2011.
Three years have elapsed but the construction of builder flats was in full swing on Friday when NGT directed compliance of its previous order of demolition.
If anything, construction has only picked up speed and buildings are being erected in record time and apartments are being sold off.
“There are Yoga, meditation centres and beauty clinics in the jungle. What is surprising is the sewer and water lines in the forest which have been laid recently by the civic agencies even as records show it is a forest,” a resident said, requesting anonymity.
The khasras have houses which are numbered alphabetically. They all have same numbers but different alphabets. Though small and uneven, the houses have SUVs parked outside, points out Pavit Singh, an activist who moved NGT against rampant concretisation of the forest area.
Two police barricades parked inside the forest have failed to prevent encroachment.
One of the builders in the area refused to talk about the issue. A forest department official said they have complained to everybody but to no avail.
A boundary wall erected by the Forest Department is now covered with piles of plastic and domestic waste and debris and kuchcha roads have been charted within the forest.
Despite the order of the NGT directing the authorities concerned to raze all encroachment and unauthorised construction in a certain area in the forests, nothing seems to have been done.
Singh and his activist-friend Surjeet Kumar showed how “civic agencies carried out cosmetic demolition to save their skin in the court.”
His counsel Rahul Choudhary said, “Rampant construction is continuing in the area and the government agencies have turned a blind eye. This is gross violation of the Forest Act. Nobody is keen on acting against the illegalities.”
