The Punjab and Haryana High Court has instructed the Deputy Commissioner (DC) of Gurugram to ensure that there are no civilian establishments around 300 metres of Airforce ammunition depot situated in the city.
Taking cognisance of the petition filed by the Defence Ministry, the High Court has entrusted responsibility to the DC office to close down the commercial establishments which have increased rapidly in the high-security zone. The High Court has also asked the DC office to act against the Government officials who have allowed the setting up of civilian establishments around the area. Real estate developments over the years around the area has led to an unchecked increase in the commercial establishments there.
The large tract of land around the Airforce ammunition depot now have automobile garages, wedding banquet halls, marble market and various consumer showrooms. In spite of objections from Airforce officials to prohibit the setting up such establishments, the number of civil set-ups has only grown around the area.
The issue has been in controversy for long where the sitting MLA Umesh Aggarwal had advocated the relocation of the Airforce station.
"There has been a lot of growth around the area and it has now become a part of the city. There is a lot of land available in Tauru in the outskirts of the city. The station must be shifted there," said Umesh Aggarwal.
At present, the High Court has directed the DC office to only remove the civil establishments situated around 300 metres area of the Airforce ammunition station. Yet, a rapid increase of civil establishments around high-security defence areas has been a major source of challenge for the Defence establishments in the city.
Security threats due to rising number of civil establishments around the Army cantonment area and the Airforce station in Sohna are also on the rise. Recently, the issue of security at key defence areas in the city has come into prominence with a trespassing event of cow smugglers at the National Security Guards (NSG) camp at Manesar. The incident subsequently resulted in a shootout followed by escape of cow smugglers from the camp who were later arrested by the Gurugram Police.