Gurgaon: Illegal houses and boundary walls built over protected forest land near Sohna were demolished on Wednesday.Intensifying crackdown on encroachments in the Aravalis, a demolition team from the Sohna forest range — backed by police — used excavators to raze brick houses, boundary walls and tin-roofed structures that had come up on the protected forest land in Gairatpur Bas village.“These illegal houses were constructed over about two acres of protected forest land,” divisional forest officer Surender Dangi told TOI. Gairatpur Bas — located along the Gurgaon-Sohna belt — has witnessed repeated instances of encroachment because of its proximity to rapidly urbanising areas. The site had both permanent and temporary structures standing along the edge of dense tree cover, highlighting the extent of illegal construction within the protected area.Police personnel remained deployed throughout the operation to prevent any law and order issues. Following the demolition, officials reclaimed possession of the land and said it would remain under the department’s protection to prevent fresh encroachments. Officials said reclaimed sites are monitored after demolition to ensure encroachments do not recur.The operation left behind mounds of bricks, concrete blocks and stone masonry as officials supervised the drive. Thick dust engulfed the site while a few residents looked on from a distance.Officials said the action followed due legal procedure and formed part of an ongoing drive to recover forest land from illegal occupation across the Aravali region. The Aravali ecosystem plays a crucial role in groundwater recharge, biodiversity conservation and serving as a natural barrier against desertification. The department has stepped up enforcement in recent months amid concerns over increasing pressure from unauthorised construction in ecologically sensitive areas.Forest officials have been carrying out periodic surveys to identify illegal occupation of protected forest land and remove unauthorised structures. Environmentalists have repeatedly flagged that illegal construction and land encroachment continue to fragment forest patches and threaten wildlife habitats in the region.The department is also identifying other vulnerable stretches where similar action may be required. Authorities maintained that enforcement drives would continue against illegal occupation of protected forest land in accordance with court orders and provisions of the forest laws.
