Over 225 acres of forest land cleared of encroachments in Delhi, says data

Over 225 acres of forest land in the national capital Delhi has been made encroachment-free across multiple forest divisions, according to official data, with the bulk of the clearance reported from the southern parts of the city.

Data compiled by the forest department shows that around 91.15 hectares of land, roughly 225 acres, has been cleared of encroachments since 2019-20, primarily in the South and West forest divisions, while several other areas are still in the process of reconciliation with land-owning agencies.

In the South Forest Division, the highest removal was recorded in the South district, where about 77 hectares or nearly 190 acres of forest land was cleared between 2019-20 and 2024-25, though a year-wise break-up was not provided.

In the South-East district, about 2.92 hectares or around 7.2 acres was cleared during the same period, with year-wise removal recorded at 0.11 hectares in 2019-20, 1.85 hectares in 2020-21, 0.56 hectares in 2021-22, nil in 2022-23 and 0.4 hectares in 2023-24.

In the West Forest Division, about 11.23 hectares or roughly 27.7 acres of land has been cleared of encroachments between 2019-20 and 2023-24 in parts of the Southern Ridge in the New Delhi district, including areas such as Rajokari, Rangpuri, Ghitorni and Mahipalpur.

The year-wise removal stood at 7.67 hectares in 2019-20, 0.4 hectares in 2020-21, 1.57 hectares in 2021-22, 0.7 hectares in 2022-23 and 0.89 hectares in 2023-24, according to the data.

The data also indicated that in certain divisions, particularly in areas classified under deemed forests or managed by different agencies, details are being compiled in coordination with the concerned land-owning authorities.

Officials noted that in many divisions, there is “no encroachment” reported on forest land under the direct control of the forest department, while information regarding other areas is being updated in consultation with relevant agencies.

The data further showed that action taken has included the issuance of notices, demarcation exercises and communication with revenue authorities and other departments for the removal of unauthorised structures.

The figures come amid ongoing monitoring of forest conservation and efforts to remove encroachments in the national capital.

Meanwhile, according to a communication issued by the regional office of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, encroachments on forest land are to be removed within two years from the date of issuance of the letter in November last year, with a compliance report to be submitted thereafter.