Gurgaon: Two forest department officials were attacked during a bid to stop construction on a Punjab Land Preservation Act (PLPA) land in Anangpur on Wednesday. The officials were allegedly assaulted, their uniforms were torn and they were forced to retreat. The department is in the process of getting an FIR registered.The officials, including two foresters, rushed to Anangpur after receiving information about alleged illegal construction and encroachment on land covered under special orders issued under Section 4 (special order) of the PLPA. According to the forest department, as the team attempted to halt the construction, a group of villagers gathered at the site, leading to the confrontation.The incident has once again exposed the daunting challenge of protecting the ecologically sensitive Aravalis in Faridabad. This comes amid repeated attempts to stop illegal construction and land grabbing being carried out with a skeletal frontline workforce amid prolonged legal disputes over privately owned forest land.Officials said they would continue enforcement drives in Anangpur and other vulnerable parts of the Aravalis despite the attack, while seeking police support wherever necessary to prevent further encroachments on protected forest land.The incident comes at a critical juncture, with the Supreme Court-appointed central empowered committee (CEC) having recently ordered a fresh khasra-wise field survey of protected Aravali land in Anangpur after discovering discrepancies between official records and the actual extent of forest land on the ground.Forest officials said the attack reflects the increasingly hostile conditions under which enforcement teams are expected to protect Aravali forests, particularly in villages where illegal construction and land transactions continue despite repeated court orders. The challenge is compounded by an acute shortage of field staff.Environmentalists said the attack illustrates why implementation of the SC’s orders has remained difficult despite repeated judicial interventions. Ecologist Sunil Harsana told TOI, “Illegal construction is not the only challenge. The department is trying to enforce court orders with a severely depleted workforce. When almost nine out of every 10 forest guard posts are vacant, protecting vulnerable Aravali land becomes an enormous task.”Department records accessed by TOI show that Faridabad forest division has only eight forest guards against 62 sanctioned posts, leaving 54 vacancies, or nearly 87% of the frontline force unfilled. Of the four sanctioned forest ranger posts, only one is occupied, while five of the 18 forester posts are vacant. Although all five deputy ranger posts are filled, officials said the absence of forest guards has severely weakened routine patrolling and rapid response capabilities.Significantly, officials said Anangpur currently has no forest guards posted, leaving foresters and senior officers to respond to complaints of illegal construction and encroachment on their own. “We receive information about illegal activities almost regularly. But without sufficient field staff, continuous monitoring is practically impossible. Teams have to rush from other locations whenever complaints are received,” a forest official said.The staffing shortage has become particularly significant because Anangpur lies in one of the most legally contested stretches of the Aravalis. SC, in its July 21, 2022, judgement, ruled that all land covered under Section 4 notifications of the PLPA must be treated as forest, irrespective of ownership, and directed demolition of structures raised on such land without prior approval of the central govt.Large parts of the Aravalis in Faridabad and Gurgaon fall under these PLPA notifications. Although much of the land is privately owned, the apex court held that private ownership does not dilute its legal status as forest if it falls within protected PLPA notifications or qualifies as forest based on official records and ecological characteristics. This has created one of the most complex enforcement situations in the NCR.Unlike conventional reserve forests where the govt owns the land, large portions of the protected Aravalis are privately held, with landowners often claiming rights to develop or sell their properties. The forest department, however, maintains that any non-forest activity requires statutory approval under forest conservation laws.The issue resurfaced recently after the CEC found inconsistencies between official maps and ground verification in Anangpur. The committee subsequently ordered a fresh khasra-by-khasra survey involving revenue, forest and survey officials to accurately identify land that qualifies as forest under the Supreme Court’s directions. The outcome of the survey is expected to determine the legal status of thousands of structures in the village, many of which could fall within land protected under the court’s interpretation of the law.
