Gurgaon: Nearly five acres of encroached land in a protected forest area along Leopard Trail in Aravalis were reclaimed on Friday. The forest department demolished illegal cafes, farmhouse-like structures and other commercial establishments in Gairatpur Bas village.The operation targeted permanent and semi-permanent structures raised on forest land, including buildings, boundary walls, entrance gates of various structures, cottages, landscaped open spaces, utility installations, water tanks and other illegal constructions.Divisional forest officer (Gurgaon) Surender Dangi told TOI the enforcement teams also cleared debris to ensure the land was fully reclaimed.The action comes a week after authorities reclaimed nearly two acres of encroached forest land in the same area, signalling an intensified crackdown on illegal occupation in Gairatpur Bas, one of the major encroachment hotspots along Leopard Trail.Leopard Trail passes through the ecologically sensitive Aravalis between Gurgaon and Sohna. Over the years, the area has witnessed a rapid increase in the number of cafes, eateries and recreational establishments, attracting large numbers of visitors, particularly on weekends. Environmentalists have repeatedly raised concerns over commercial activity and construction near forest land and wildlife habitat.“The removal of illegal commercial structures from forest land is a welcome step, but it has to be followed by sustained monitoring. Unless reclaimed land is secured and fresh encroachments are prevented, demolition drives alone will not solve the problem. Leopard Trail lies in an ecologically sensitive stretch of the Aravalis, and protecting it requires continuous enforcement, not one-time action,” said environmentalist Vivek Komboj.Police remained deployed throughout the operation to maintain law and order. By the end of the drive, the encroached land had been cleared and restored to the forest department’s possession.
