Gurugram: After demolishing certain structures in Kant Enclave, the district administration is now planning ways by which the forest area can be again renewed after directions by the Supreme Court. Sources in the district administration of Faridabad indicate that plans are underway for finding the new varieties of trees that can be planted.
It will not be easy for the authorities to carry out the act as the homeowners who had invested in the area have lodged their protest. The district administration of Faridabad on Monday went ahead and razed over 14 houses situated in Kant Enclave –a 425-acre residential area nestled in the Aravallis.
The stern action was undertaken after the Supreme Court in its order on September 11, 2018, had stated that all the residential and commercial structures that had come up after 1992 were illegal. The administration had earlier served notices to the homeowners citing categorically that after March 31 it held the right to destroy the structure. Even as compensation of Rs 16.50 crores has been deposited at the court, there is anger among a large number of homeowners over the destruction of the houses.
On September 11, the Supreme Court bench comprising of Justice Madan B Lokur and Justice Deepak Gupta gave an order that all the structures that had come up after August 18, 1992, in Kant Eclave were illegal and had to be destroyed. There was some reprieve for the homeowners who had built their houses from the period 1984 to August 1992 as the top court stated that their houses will not be destroyed.
According to the official, there were 45 structures in the area that was deemed to be illegal. A legal proceeding that included extending the dates for damaging the structures and increasing the compensation delayed the process of officials going ahead and razing the structures.
The Supreme Court also came down on the Haryana government for amending Punjab Land Preservation Act (PLPA) which after being passed on February 27 made Kant Enclave legal. The top court in various judgement has stated categorically that they will not allow the degradation of Aravallis.