Illegal colonies drain water supply in Haryana’s Kaimri; villagers link crisis to cancer cases

Following a recent directive from the Punjab and Haryana High Court, residents are hopeful that authorities will take action against the unauthorised colonies.

Kaimri has a population of nearly 11,000. With the rapid expansion of Hisar city, illegal colonies are expanding to more and more areas on its outskirts, Sandeep said. “The modus operandi is simple. Colonisers first build an illegal colony, luring people to buy plots. Once a significant number of plots are constructed, they push for regularisation,” he said.

With the rapid expansion of Hisar city, colonisers are racing to introduce more and more colonies along its outskirts. (Express Photo)

He added, “Using their influence, they manage to draw the bulk of water from the government supply located in our village, leaving only a small portion for the villagers. With the village tank nearly dry, residents are forced to use tubewell water, which has high TDS levels and is causing cancer and other diseases. We approached local authorities to disconnect the illegal water connections, but when no one offered a solution, I had to move the high court through my lawyer, Pradeep Duhan.”

In his petition, Sandeep alleged that unauthorised colonies were being developed on agricultural land without any licence from the authorities. The court on August 4 directed the district town planner to take appropriate action, if necessary, within three months.

Former village sarpanch Dalbir Jangu said the underground water supplied to villagers is salty, as canal water from the village waterworks is diverted to residents of illegal colonies. “When I filed an RTI application regarding the illegal water connections, I received no reply,” he added.

Om Prakash Bhambhu, husband of sarpanch Dayawanti, said, “The per-acre rate ranges from Rs 5 to Rs 12 crore following the introduction of illegal colonies along the Hisar-Kaimri road. Plot prices near the road have skyrocketed to Rs 1 lakh per square yard.”

(Express Photo)

He also said the village waterworks, constructed with bricks 30 years ago, were in poor condition and needed to be rebuilt using reinforced cement concrete to prevent muddy water from the nearby Ghaggar multi-purpose drain from mixing with the supply.

When contacted, District Town Planner Dinesh Singh told The Indian Express, “We will be taking action as per the law. Notices have already been issued to the colonisers of illegal colonies. We have carried out demolition exercises, and further demolition action will be initiated.”

In a public appeal, the district town planner urged people not to buy plots or construct houses in illegal colonies, cautioning against being misled by property dealers. He also highlighted a case where a layout plan for a 28-acre colony in Hansi was distributed among the public without obtaining a licence.

Buyers’ concerns

Meanwhile, social activist Rishi Saini from Hisar has called for a revision of the residential plot policy to provide relief to genuine buyers. “With skyrocketing prices in the already developed sectors, common people have no option but to buy plots in illegal colonies. If the government is truly serious about helping the common man, it should reinstate the earlier policy of the Haryana Urban Development Authority (now Haryana Shehri Vikas Pradhikaran), which allotted plots through a lottery system to applicants who did not own any residential property,” he said.

Highlighting flaws in the auction-based system, Saini said, “Most plots sold through auction are purchased by property dealers or those with close ties to them. After acquiring the plots, they resell them at a profit. This auction system leaves no room for the common man to own a home.”