In a decisive move to shield protected forest land from degradation, authorities in Faridabad have physically dug up and barricaded an unauthorized access road cutting through the ecologically sensitive Aravali terrain. The action targets a 1.5-kilometre stretch near Celebration Garden, which had quietly morphed into a shortcut for vehicles, compromising land notified under the stringent Punjab Land Preservation Act (PLPA).
Crackdown on Unauthorized Access
Forest department officials used earthmoving machinery to create a long earthen barrier, effectively severing the illicit pathway. Faridabad divisional forest officer Surender Dangi emphasized that the closure was long overdue. "This access had to be closed to prevent further degradation inside the notified area," Dangi stated, clarifying that the route was squarely within forest land and never intended for public use.
The inspection last week revealed significant damage: soil compaction, disturbed vegetation, and fresh tyre marks on the forest floor. The road had widened over time due to regular traffic, largely from visitors and service vehicles heading to nearby commercial facilities. With the ongoing wedding season threatening to increase pressure, the department acted swiftly to cut off access.
Part of a Larger Pattern in the Aravalis
This intervention is not an isolated event but part of a broader enforcement drive in the Surajkund–Badkhal–Ankhir belt, where commercial activity has been steadily encroaching upon protected Aravali pockets. Just days prior, the administration demolished Mahipal Garden, a banquet hall in Surajkund, after finding paved areas and structures built on forest land without mandatory clearances.
Officials note a troubling pattern where banquet halls, party venues, and farmhouses either occupy PLPA-covered land or depend on forest tracks to transport guests and supplies. These activities gradually transform informal footpaths into motorable roads, causing irreversible harm. The goal now is to stop "this cycle before it hardens into a precedent."
Supreme Court Directive Drives Action
The heightened scrutiny stems directly from a July 2022 Supreme Court order directing the Haryana government to remove all illegal construction on land notified under Sections 4 and 5 of the PLPA. These sections prohibit even minor alterations to the terrain. Despite multiple anti-encroachment drives, illegal structures remain widespread in areas like Ankhir, Anangpur, Lakkarpur, and Mewla Maharajpur, partly due to interim stays secured by individual owners.
Forest teams will now monitor the newly barricaded stretch near Celebration Garden to ensure no fresh tracks are carved around the barrier. The department has also signalled that more such closures could follow if similar misuse is detected in other PLPA-notified zones across the region.
