Seven Wonders Park near Ajmer lake to be demolished in 6 months amid environmental concerns

In April 2023, Ashok Malik (Jat), a former councillor of the Ajmer Municipal Corporation had filed a petition with the National Green Tribunal (NGT), citing violations of wetland regulations and the city’s master plan. In December 2023, the NGT ordered the removal of unauthorized constructions, but despite this directive, the administration continued developing the park.

Babulal Sahu, the national president of the Bharatiya Public Labour Party and an advocate in this case, stated that the next step is to hold officials accountable for illegally allocating wetland land for the Seven Wonders Park. He plans to file for financial recovery from those responsible for the misuse of power.

In an affidavit submitted to the court, the state government pledged to compensate for the damage caused to the wetland by creating an artificial wetland area twice the size of the affected land. The court then instructed the government to present a detailed action plan for the new wetland by April 7.
Justices Abhay S Oka and Ujjwal Bhuyan issued the orders based on affidavits from the state government and environmental activists.

Ashok Malik, the petitioner in the case, emphasized the need for a concrete plan of action.

“We challenged this construction as it directly violated environmental laws. The state government has committed to demolishing the Seven Wonders Park within six months and compensating for the lost wetland by providing double the affected area. This project, which cost approximately ₹58 crore of taxpayer money, is both illegal and unjust,” said Malik.

Solicitor General of India Tushar Mehta represented the state government in the court.

In January 2024, the Ajmer Development Authority (ADA) had appealed to the SC. During the hearing, the court questioned the Chief Secretary about the failure to implement the NGT’s orders.

Meanwhile, the Ajmer district administration has begun demolishing the Seven Wonders Park and the food court at Luv-Kush Garden.