Haldwani: State forest dept lists 700 houses as encroachments

AN OFFICIALS SAID NOTICES TO THE OCCUPANTS OF FOREST LAND WILL BE SENT SOON AND THE SETTLEMENTS WILL BE REMOVED

HALDWANI: The state forest department has identified over 700 encroachers occupying forest land in Bagjala area of Haldwani under Gaula range of Terai East forest division, officials aware of the matter said, adding that a notice will soon be sent to them to vacate the land.

The development comes after the Haldwani municipal corporation removed encroachment from nazool land on February 8.

According to forest officials, there are illegal encroachments on more than 100 hectares of forest land in Bagjala area under Gaula range of Terai East forest division. This land was given on lease for farming in the year 1976. The lease expired in the year 2006-07. The occupants did not renew the lease and also didn’t leave the possession.

Later, some of this land was also sold. Now the forest department is preparing to remove encroachments from this land, the officials added.

Himanshu Bagri, divisional forest officer of Terai East forest division said, “The forest department has conducted a survey in Bagjala under Gaula Range, in which more than 700 houses have been identified as encroachments. At present drone survey is being conducted in Bagjala. The GPS location of the houses built on encroached land is being mapped. Details of the number of people living on the land, number of unbuilt and constructed buildings are also being prepared.”

“After completion of this survey, notices to remove encroachments will be issued to the people occupying the encroached land. If they still do not remove the encroachment themselves, the encroachments will be demolished. A demand has been made to the police and administration for force for demolishing the encroachments in case they are not removed”, Bagri further said.