Gurugram: The Gurugram government will conduct an initial survey of all wooded areas to measure the extent to which illegal construction in the protected zone.
The area will be mapped using a drone.
The decision was taken at a meeting led by Deputy Commissioner Yash Garg on Tuesday forest Conservator, Vasvi Tyagi, District Planner District (Enforcement) Batth Hospital and other senior officials were also present.
Referring to the command of the Supreme Court about the demolition of 10,000 houses in Khori Village in Aravalis, Garg said removing unauthorized construction in the forest area was a “top priority”.
“I have ordered the initial survey of all wooded areas in the district to prepare a list of structures there.
Surveys will be carried out with the help of drones and will begin in a week,” Garg said.
He added that it would be the first survey in this district.
After the survey has registered the type of structure built in and around forest areas, the forestry department will go through the record and identify illegal.
Surveys, according to Garg, will include mapping all of the forest areas within the limits of corporation of Gurgaon and Manesar and Panchayats.
“Notifications will be sent to the owner of illegal structure.
After a few days, the building will be destroyed by the law enforcement team,” Batth added.
It is often seen that villagers around Aravalis, allocated land by the government for agriculture, sells it to private developers, which in turn, build farming houses and other structures.
Khori, for example, is one of the villages that appear illegally in forest land.
Tyagi, head of forest conservator, said the forestry department has prepared a geographical reference map for the district and will be distributed with the survey team.
According to him, Gurgaon District has a total of 6,800 hectares in 33 revenue plantations covered by the Punjab Land Preservation Act (PLPA).
“The initial survey, using a drone camera, will help us identify each structure that appears at 6,800 hectares of land of this plout,” he added.
Officials in Faridabad, who also have wooded areas, said all illegal structures, including agricultural houses, on protected soil will be destroyed.
Until now, the district has identified around 130 illegal structures built in 500 hectares of land PLPA notified.