Illegal farmhouses in Raisina Hills may be razed on March 15

GURUGRAM: Around a week after sending show-cause notices to around 150 owners of farmhouses for carrying out illegal construction in Raisina Hills, the Sohna municipal authorities are planning to carry out demolition drive at Aravali Retreat. The farmhouse owners had been asked to reply to the notices within seven days, saying they built the structures illegally in ‘gair mumkin pahar’.

“We decided to demolish these illegal structures on March 15. The process is on. A duty magistrate will be appointed to oversee the drive,” said a senior official of the municipal council.

He also said some farmhouse owners have replied to the council’s notice.

“We are analysing the replies we have received,” he added. The council is planning to conduct more such demolition drives and will submit an action-taken report to the National Green Tribunal (NGT) before April 8, the next date for hearing the case.

On February 18, as many as 15 structures were demolished by the council. It was the first time that a demolition drive was carried out in the area. This action was taken following the orders of the green tribunal, which had directed Haryana to restore the forest area in Raisina Hill of Aravalis by January 31. The order came out in October last year. More than 400 farmhouses have been built in Raisina Hills.

“In 1989-1990, 1,200 acres of land was bought by Ansals ( M/s Delhi Towers Pvt. Ltd. ) from several private owners. At the time, the land was neither recorded as forest nor was notified as controlled area,” said Sharad Mohan, a farmhouse owner.