The Supreme Court on Monday ordered the Faridabad Municipal Corporation to clear encroachments from the eco-sensitive Aravali forest land within six weeks by demolishing around 10,000 houses built illegally in Lakkarpur-Khori village, and the Haryana forest secretary and civic body commissioner were given the responsibility for compliance.
Senior barrister Colin Gonsalves argued for clemency on behalf of a village resident facing demolition, saying that if the Haryana government’s rehabilitation programme cut-off was advanced from 2003 to 2015, most of the community’s residents might be relocated.
“The majority of them have lived there since the 1980s when Aravali was still mining.
However, they lack the necessary documentation to back up their claims.
Since 2010, they have had confirmation of residency “he stated
The authorities have not demolished unauthorized homes on forest property despite repeated directives from the SC, which issued judgments in February last year and April this year, a bench of Justices A M Khanwilkar and Dinesh Maheshwari said. When the corporate officials tried a demolition campaign, the villagers resorted to stone pelting, according to the civic body, which was represented by prominent attorney Arun Bharadwaj.
When Gonsalves claimed that citizens would be prepared to leave their homes on forest land if the government offered them alternative housing as part of a rehabilitation plan, the bench responded, “Who is arguing this, land grabbers?” It’s a woodland area.
As a result, there can be no compromise when it comes to recovering and retaining its original character. We’ll evict you if you don’t vacate.” “You often come to the court with cases for the conservation of forest land and the protection of the environment,” the bench told Gonsalves when he begged for more mercy. Now you say that forest devastation is acceptable on humanitarian grounds. You cannot alternate between wearing two hats as and when it suits you. We will show you this argument in the present instance the next time you come with a petition for environmental protection.”
