Supreme Court orders removal of encroachments in Aravali forest land

Trespass includes about 10,000 residential constructions

The Supreme Court on Monday ordered the Haryana government and the Faridabad Municipal Corporation to take “all essential measures” to remove encroachments, including about 10,000 residential constructions, in the ecologically fragile Aravali forest land near Lakarpur Khori village. A Bench led by Justice A.M. Khanwilkar dismissed the argument by the residents that they should be rehabilitated first, saying “land-grabbers cannot take the refuge of the rule of law” and demand fairness. “We expect the Corporation will take all essential measures to remove encroachments on the subject forest land without any exception, not later than six weeks from today and submit a compliance report in that behalf, under the signature of the Chief Executive Officer of the Corporation,” the court directed.