The Delhi Growth Authority (DDA) on Thursday mentioned it had carried out a demolition drive to take away “unauthorised development” throughout the boundary of Tilpath Valley Biodiversity Park, close to Sainik Farm in south Delhi,as a part of efforts to reclaim authorities land and strengthen the park’s inexperienced cowl.
In response to officers, the drive, carried out with the help from Delhi Police and within the presence of forest officers, focused a number of land parcels in village Maidangarhi that fall throughout the notified limits of the biodiversity park. Demolition actions have been undertaken throughout a number of plot (khasra) numbers. “Roughly 70% of the affected space (about 83 acres) was recovered. Round 12 acres of land, comprising 23 farmhouses, have been demolished and cleared,” DDA mentioned in an announcement.
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Nevertheless, residents within the space claimed the DDA officers arrived round 5am and demolished solely elements of two farmhouses and a few jhuggis.
The DDA additional mentioned that roughly three acres of land, involving seven farmhouses, couldn’t be cleared resulting from lively judicial keep orders issued by the excessive court docket.
“The motion kinds a part of ongoing efforts to guard ecological property, safeguard authorities land, and develop the inexperienced cowl of Tilapth Valley Biodiversity Park,” the assertion mentioned.
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President of Western Avenue Residents’ Welfare Affiliation in Sainik Farm, Hardeep Singh, mentioned, “DDA has been claiming that the land belongs to its horticulture division however there may be an ongoing case. In a clandestine method, they arrived at daybreak and broke down two farmhouses. The homeowners received recent keep orders on the proceedings by 10.30 am, quickly after the court docket opened, however DDA had accomplished most of its job by then.”
One of many affected house homeowners mentioned he has been dwelling there for the previous 28 years. He added that the claims of the world being a part of forest land began solely about seven years in the past and the difficulty has been in dispute since then.
“Initially we received notices from the forest and income departments. In 2019, they demolished a part of our boundary wall however we received keep orders in opposition to each departments. They now modified ways and despatched notices by way of the DDA’s horticulture division earlier than finishing up the drive,” mentioned Rajeev Wadhwa, one of many affected homeowners.
He mentioned the motion is against the law because the matter is in court docket.
“On this space, there are overlaps with the forested areas. We have now been asking DDA to conduct a bodily survey for demarcation for years however they’ve shunned it. They declare {that a} satellite tv for pc survey has been accomplished, however there isn’t any demarcation but and ambiguity continues,” mentioned Wadhwa.
Tilpath Valley Biodiversity Park, positioned alongside the southern ridge, is a part of a community of biodiversity parks developed to revive degraded forest land.