Forest department flags illegal construction on Chandigarh’s periphery, urges action against violations. Large-scale building activity in the newly delisted forest areas along Chandigarh’s periphery has rung alarm bells in the Forest Department. The department has written to Punjab Housing and Urban Development Department regarding illegal constructions in Mirzapur, Jyanti Majri, Karoran, Bharonjian, Siswan and Nada villages. Earlier falling under the forest category, these areas are now part of GMADA.
It pointed to the flouting of Supreme Court guidelines that disallow construction on land that has been delisted as forests adjoining the protected areas. Illegal farmhouses and plots have been discovered, and as many as 116 unauthorized constructions were pointed out by the Forest Department, which urged GMADA to take immediate action.
These are the lands that were delisted from the Punjab Land Preservation Act and fall in the vicinity of the eco-sensitive Sukhna Wildlife Sanctuary. Even the Chandigarh Administration has objected to any construction in these protected categories of land. Despite repeated warnings, GMADA has failed to check these violations, since many of them involve influential persons, including retired IAS and IPS officers, politicians, etc.
It has also directed strict enforcement of Sections 4 and 5 of the PLPA, 1900, to prevent further violations in areas such as Tarapur, Siswan, Seonk, Mullanpur, and Bhronjian.