Gurgaon: The forest department on Monday demolished a concrete wall and two farmhouses in the Raisina hill area after finding fresh construction activity underway in the protected Aravali landscape. The affected area spans around 26 acres. Officials said inspections revealed extensive concretisation and the use of earthmovers without permission.Divisional forest officer (Gurgaon) Raj Kumar said action was taken after confirming that construction had resumed in violation of norms. An earthmover was used to dismantle the concretised wall and structures along a narrow forest path, with debris left scattered across the hillside.Officials said the area is covered under the Aravali Notification of 1992, which restricts construction of roads, boundary walls and buildings, and prohibits tree felling without approval. Non-forest activities are not allowed on land classified as gair mumkin pahad (uncultivable hill) without statutory clearances.The action follows earlier reports of large-scale violations in Raisina. A previous TOI report had flagged a nearly 30-metre-wide road carved into the protected hills, with over 100 trees felled to clear the stretch. The road connected to an existing road below the forest belt, raising concerns about deeper access into the ridge and continued encroachment.Officials said earlier inspections had also recorded large tracts of freshly cleared land, stripped vegetation, and piles of excavated soil and loose rock along the ridge. Cut branches, stumps and exposed roots were visible at several locations. Fresh boundary walls and gates were found to have come up soon after vegetation clearance.At multiple sites, boundary walls were constructed around standing trees, enclosing them within private plots. Environmentalists say such practices often precede complete land clearing. Flattened hilltops with houses and multi-storey buildings under construction were also recorded.Environmentalists have repeatedly warned that even repairing old paths with concrete permanently alters natural drainage, soil profile and wildlife movement. “Despite repeated demolition drives, encroachments continue and construction returns,” said Col (retd) SS Oberoi.In 2024, National Green Tribunal took suo motu cognisance of a TOI report on illegal construction at Ansal’s Aravali Retreat in Raisina, terming the rebuilding of demolished structures a “flagrant violation” of its earlier orders. In Dec 2022, the tribunal had directed the Haryana and Rajasthan govts to set up a monitoring committee and conduct periodic reviews until all encroachments were removed from the Aravali land.
