Illegal constructions continue to thrive around Ggn Airforce depot

Uphill task awaits the district administration in Gurugram to evict large number of civilian settlements around 300 metres of the Airforce ammunition depot situated in the Old Delhi road. A report by city civic body to Punjab and Haryana high court has specified that there over 6,000 residential units that have come up at a distance of 300 metres from the heavily secure zone.

On the petition filed by the Defence Ministry, the high court has directed that there should be no civilian settlements in such a close proximity. Earlier the judiciary had ruled that the distance should be 900 metres however taking cognisance of the large civilian population that has settled around the area, it was reduced to 300 metres. The real estate development over the years has led to unchecked rise increase in the commercial establishments. The presence of the Maruti Suzuki factory further expedited the real estate development. Automobile garages, wedding banquet halls, marble market and various consumer showrooms began to be set up in the vast swathes of land around the defence land.

Even as objections were by Airforce officials to prohibit the setting up of civil establishments, the number of civil set ups have only grown around the area. Not only the Airforce station but even an Army cantonment area that is located few kilometres away face the similar challenges. On the repeated complaint by Defence personnel, a plea was filed leading the intervention of judiciary into the matter. The concern of unchecked rise civilian settlements has also been raised around the Airforce station at Sohna Road in the past. There have been several instances where civilians have trespassed into the military areas.