Activists are raising concerns over illegal hutments mushrooming inside the protected forest. Often, when it comes to the land mafia, they clear land by starting fires, they said, adding that such attempts became more frequent during the Covid lockdown

In one every of the largest demolition drives inside Sanjay Gandhi park within the past two years, authorities cleared illegal structures near Vihar Lake, near Sahibangoda, meet 100 acres – appreciate five Oval Maidans. Nearly 700 personnel, including forest staff, police and a team from the State Reserve law (SRPF) participated in the day-long drive, a report during this paper said.

Activists are raising concerns over illegal hutments mushrooming inside the protected forest. Also coming to the l, the mafia clears land by starting fires, so such attempts became more frequent during the Covid lockdown.

A top officer acknowledged there was massive encroachment, spoke about the demolition drive and stated that strict action is going to be taken if people attempt to encroach again.

When the green warriors welcomed the move, such an exercise raises an important question of why such a mega drive was needed. Do we need it? we’ve got to appear at the tendency of letting encroachments mushroom and then multiply rapidly. When this goes out of hand to be controlled, then we see the wheels start turning.

Sometimes, there are complaints but one or two complaints don’t come to life or shake up the establishment. it’s when the trickle becomes a torrent that we see some action. we’d like to act faster and at the start itself, when there’s one encroachment instead of awaiting land to become overrun. Though the drive has removed these illegal hutments, still a lot has to be done. ecological damage has already been done.

One should understand that this is a typical reactive attitude where we wait to be overwhelmed or for some disaster to strike before laying down the law. Even those that transgress do know they’re going to depart with this, for some years at a minimum and are emboldened by that thought.