Chandigarh, July 20 -- The Haryana government has demolished 241 structures spread over an area of about 261 acres in four villages of Ankhir, Mewla Maharajpur, Lakkarpur Khori and Anangpur in Faridabad during the first phase of the demolition drive. The demolitions have been done in compliance with a 2022 Supreme Court (SC) directive to remove unauthorised structures built on land parcels protected by the special orders issued under Section 4 of the Punjab Land Preservation Act (PLPA). A total of 6,793 unauthorised structures were identified by the authorities in four Faridabad villages spread across 786.26 acres with the aid of drone and satellite imagery and subsequent ground truthing. They were categorised into five broad categories - farmhouses and banquet halls; temples, ashrams, gaushalas; government establishments; educational institutions and small dwelling units. The SC in its July 21, 2022 judgment had held that the land covered by the special orders issued under Section 4 of PLPA have all the protection allowed to forest land within the meaning of section 2 of the Forest Conservation Act, 1980 and, therefore the state government cannot permit their use for non-forest activities without the prior approval of the Central government with effect from October 25, 1980. The apex court had also ordered that illegal structures on such land should be removed. The SC order pertained to Anangpur, Ankhir, Mewla Maharajpur and Lakkarpur Khori villages of Faridabad. The apex court on April 17, 2025, extended the time to comply with its 2022 directions till July 31, 2025, asking the state authorities to file a compliance report in the first week of August with a copy to the central empowered committee (CEC) of the SC. The CEC will examine the compliance and submit a report to the apex court by the end of August 2025. As per an action taken report (ATR) submitted to the CEC by the state government, 133 unauthorised structures have been demolished in Anangpur village, 59 in Lakkarpur Khori and 49 in Ankhir till July 1. Officials said that big structures like farmhouses, banquet halls, marriage gardens and commercially oriented structures were demolished in the first phase of the demolition drive so that large chunks of land under PLPA get cleared. "Out of 780.26 acres of area, large structures like farm houses, banquet halls covering an area of 261.06 acres have been demolished except the government structures and the cases in which stay has been granted by the high court,'' the ATR said. The report also said that there was a lot of resentment among residents regarding the orders to demolish households, small shops as there are about 5,938 such structures spread over 188 acres under the household category with majority of them located in Anangpur village. The decision on these structures, the report said, will be taken by the state government as per legally permitted provisions. The action taken report said that 118 structures of Haryana Urban Development Authority (HUDA) spread over 159 acres in Ankhir and Mewla Maharajpur, 72 structures belonging to Haryana Tourism spread over 4.93 acre in Ankhir and Lakkarpur Khori, 286 structures of Municipal Corporation Faridabad spread over 26 acres in Lakkarpur Khori and Ankhir have been found to be built on PLPA protected land. Officials said government properties built on the PLPA protected land included HUDA sectors - Sector 21-C (Ankhir), 44, 45, 47 (Mewla Maharajpur), leisure valley in Mewla Maharajpur, assets of Haryana Tourism in Surajkund, Badkhal Tourist Complex. While HUDA has applied for approval under diversion of forest land for non-forestry purposes under Forest Conservation Act, 1980, it has been decided that government institutions and establishments including Haryana Tourism will follow suit. The proposals will be processed in accordance with December 29, 2023 guidelines of the Union ministry of environment, forest & climate change. Diversion as per the Forest Conservation Rules means an order issued by the state government or any authority with the approval of the Central government for the use of any forest land for non-forest purpose or assignment of a lease of any forest land for non-forest purpose. It included undertaking compensatory afforestation - planting trees in lieu of the diversion of forest land for non-forest purpose and payment of compensatory levies as per Compensatory Afforestation Fund Act, 2016. Among the educational institutions - Manav Rachna International Institute of Research and Studies, Modern Vidya Niketan School and Aravali International School have applied for diversion of forest land. State officials said that Manav Rachna has been granted an in principle (stage - 1) approval under the Forest Conservation Act. The proposals of Modern Vidya Niketan School and Aravali International School are under consideration, the officials said. Documents showed that 65 entities had in 2022 applied for permission from the central ministry for diversion of the PLPA land on which unauthorised structures have been built. These 65 entities including 43 who applied for diversion of forest land after the 2022 judgment of the apex court, seeking regularisation of their unauthorised structures. The applicants included a university, schools, marriage halls, police stations, recreational complexes. Officials said many of these are unlikely to be recommended or considered for approval. State officials said that there were eight cases where a stay on the demolition of structures has been granted by the Punjab and Haryana high court. "Most of these cases will come up for hearing in September and October 2025. The state government has decided to file applications before the HC for clubbing these petitions and vacating the stay orders so that the demolitions can be carried out," officials said. A district-level committee was constituted in 2022 to verify the unauthorised structures identified by the divisional forest officer in four villages covered under the PLPA notifications of August 18, 1992. The authorities as per the SC orders afforded an opportunity of being heard to the affected persons before removing the structures. They were also afforded an opportunity to remove these structures and stop all non-forest activities from their land or submit written representation in response to the notice denying the facts mentioned in the notice....