Kashmir Impulse Desk

Srinagar, May 19

Authorities on Tuesday demolished 32 structures and reclaimed around three hectares of encroached forest land in the Raika Bandi area near Jammu, official sources said.

The anti-encroachment drive was carried out jointly by the administration, Forest Department, Forest Protection Force and police, in the presence of First-Class Magistrates, the sources said.

According to officials, the operation targeted illegally constructed concrete and temporary structures on forest land adjoining the old Tawi Herbal Eco Park and the Chak line boundary of Bandi Chak.

Officials said approximately three hectares of encroached forest land were reclaimed during the exercise.

The action was carried out in compliance with a Jammu and Kashmir High Court order dated September 3, 2020, in Public Interest Litigation No. 25/2017 titled SAVE versus State of J&K and Others, which directed the Forest Department to remove encroachments from forest land in a time-bound manner.

Sources said the eviction process followed months of monitoring and field inspections by forest officials aimed at preventing further encroachments in the area.

According to officials, forest staff conducting routine inspections on March 28 this year were allegedly attacked by encroachers, who also levelled “false and frivolous allegations” against government employees.

Following the incident, authorities initiated proceedings by issuing show-cause notices, officials said.

The notices, however, were allegedly refused by the encroachers, who also misbehaved with officials on duty, prompting the issuance of eviction orders, the sources added.

Officials further said claims that the encroachers had been residing in the area for decades did not match satellite imagery records.

According to authorities, Google Earth timeline imagery showed only two or three temporary sheds in the area until 2009.

Most of the demolished structures belonged to non-local families, while only three or four families were from the local Gujjar community, officials said.