Gurgaon: Nearly a week after authorities identified 183 alleged violations inside the eco-sensitive zone (ESZ) of Sultanpur National Park, enforcement moved to the ground on Monday.Officials from the forest and wildlife departments, the department of town and country planning (DTCP), Haryana State Pollution Control Board (HSPCB) and the public health engineering department (PHED) inspected residential, commercial and farmhouse properties across the notified ESZ to verify permissions and construction status.Joint teams carried out physical verification of illegal structures, the forest department issued the first round of notices and officials announced that demolition would begin with under-construction buildings. The move marks the first time the forest department has itself initiated notices against alleged violators. In the past, notices were largely issued by DCTP, with little follow-up on the ground.During the exercise, several property owners failed to produce mandatory change of land use approvals and other statutory documents. They were directed to submit the records before the authorities, following which action will be initiated in phases.Gurgaon divisional forest officer (wildlife) RK Jangra told TOI that a meeting with the deputy commissioner and other departments will be held to finalise the next phase of action, including demolition of structures found to be in violation of ESZ norms. The five-km eco-sensitive zone around the park covers 22 villages. While construction is prohibited within 300 metres of the wetland, buildings are restricted to two storeys within 500 metres and commercial construction and polluting industries are barred within a three-km radius.Last week, TOI reported that fresh inspections uncovered 48 additional structures. The violations include farmhouses, banquet halls, commercial establishments, residential buildings, boundary walls and gates. The enforcement drive follows directions of a National Board for Wildlife-appointed committee, which criticised the Haryana govt for failing to act against unauthorised construction inside the ESZ and directed it to initiate legal proceedings against violators.“This is the first phase of enforcement. We have issued the initial notices today. Under-construction buildings will be taken up first because further construction can still be stopped. We have found that many do not have CLU approvals and documents. We have given them two to three days’ time and thereafter in phases we will start taking action. We will start take action against the under-construction and newly constructed buildings and structures,” Jangra added.Environmentalist Vaishali Rana said, “Monday’s exercise was an important beginning but cautioned that its success would depend on whether the notices culminate in actual demolition and restoration of the ecological buffer around the Ramsar wetland.”Officials who participated in Monday’s drive said the inspection involved physical verification of each property, scrutiny of land use permissions and identification of structures that may require demolition or other legal action.The Sultanpur park is also a part of the Central Asian Flyway — a major migratory route for birds travelling between their breeding grounds in Central Asia. The park, internationally recognised for its ecological value, is home to a variety of migratory and resident bird species, making it a vital habitat for avian life.
