As part of its efforts to tackle the commercial use of stilt floors, and encroachment on roads in cities, the Town and Country Planning (Enforcement) Department, Haryana, over the weekend demolished several alleged unauthorised structures and encroachments across eight licensed colonies in Gurgaon, including areas along Golf Course Road.
The drive, however, has sparked significant opposition among residents, many of whom allege that they were not given an adequate notice period and claim that guard rooms were among the structures destroyed.
The demolition drive followed the Punjab and Haryana High Court’s April 2 interim stay on stilt-plus-4-storey constructions. In the wake of the order, Additional Chief Secretary Anurag Agarwal on Friday had directed all concerned departments to ensure the immediate removal of encroachments from Right of Way (ROW) areas and strict compliance with building norms, seeking a detailed report by April 22.
Earthmovers were spotted across prominent residential societies on Saturday and Sunday. In anticipation of the drive, some residents partially removed their car sheds and other installations in a bid to escape enforcement action.
Led by District Town Planner (Enforcement) Amit Madholia, enforcement teams targeted violations on the ROW of roads, green belts, and public spaces over the two days. Most of the anti-encroachment operations, carried out over the weekend, were concentrated in and around the Golf Course Road service lane.
The drive has sparked significant opposition among residents.
According to officials, earthmovers were deployed to remove encroachments outside properties where commercial activities were being operated from residential premises. Authorities stated that action was taken against more than 40 such properties along this stretch alone on Saturday and Sunday.
According to officials, the structures removed on Sunday, the second day of the drive, included :
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- Approximately 290 encroachments cleared from parks and green areas.
- Over 150 guard rooms and porta cabins demolished.
- More than 150 boundary walls and fencing structures dismantled.
- Over 125 ramps and staircases were removed.
- Over 115 sheds, shops, and kiosks cleared.
- More than 100 illegal gates and barriers taken down.
- General encroachments removed from over 300 properties.
Officials said that Diesel generator (DG) sets, barricading, and other semi-permanent structures were also cleared across multiple locations.
In DLF Phase 1, enforcement teams covered nearly 30 lanes and 378 houses, dismantling alleged illegal structures in parks, along with grills, brick walls, ramps, and guard rooms.
According to officials, over 125 green area encroachments were cleared in this neighbourhood alone. Simultaneous demolition drives were also executed across South City-1, Palam Vihar, Sushant Lok-3, Rosewood City, Ardee City, Vipul World, and Suncity township, targeting parking sheds, hoardings, fencing, and road encroachments, officials said.
Meanwhile, DTP Madholia stated that the drive would continue. “This is a sustained drive. All licensed colonies in Gurgaon will be covered in phases,” he said, urging residents to voluntarily remove encroachments in order to avoid enforcement action.
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On the demolition drive, Vijay Shiv Nath, Resident Welfare Association (RWA) president of Malibu Town, an upscale township in Sector 47, said, “There was definitely not enough notice. Around 20 structures, including guard rooms, were demolished on Saturday.”
Poonam Jain, a resident of DLF Phase 1, alleged that the drive had damaged water harvesting units, left manholes open, and caused harm to trees and green belts.
Criticising the drive, Kusum Sharma, chairperson of Suncity RWA, said, “Our guard room from where we monitored the entire CCTV was destroyed, and those providing shade to guards were also razed despite not being on the road. At least a one week notice should have been given…. Car shades of residents were not blocking space, but still they were removed. Some residents managed to speak to higher authorities, and their structures were spared, Why?”
However, not everyone was opposed to the drive. Chaitali Mandhotra, deputy convenor of United Gurugram RWAs said they favoured the drive and wanted it extended across Gurgaon. “However, the encroachment should focus on private plotted colonies as well as HUDA sectors.”
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When contacted, Tarun Bhatia, Planning Assistant of the Town Planning Department, who was seen supervising the drive at Suncity, justified the move, stating that the High Court had ordered ROW areas to be cleared and that sheds on narrow roads would obstruct the entry of fire tenders.
Officials also noted that action was taken because many violations had persisted despite prior notices urging voluntary compliance. In several areas, residents were issued warnings regarding further legal action over DG sets and repeat violations, officials said.
The drive has sparked significant opposition among residents.