Sanjay Gandhi Nat Park encroachments to be removed

1 Mar, 2009

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Sanjay Gandhi Nat Park encroachments to be removed

With the dismissal of SLPs, the last hurdle in removing the encroachments has been removed. "This is a fantastic decision by the Supreme Court. The encroachments will soon be removed from the national par"," said Debi Goenka of Bombay Environmental Action Group
(BEAG). However, it took a 14-year legal battle and hundreds of petitions to overcome the tremendous political pressure, he added.

The number of encroachers in the national park increased between 1985 and 1994. State government admitted that there were between 78,000 and 80,000 illegal hutments on SGNP land.A satellite survey report carried out by the Space Application Centre in Ahmedabad showed that up to 772.82 hectare of the park was encroached upon.

Finally in February 1997, the high court formed a committee to decide how the encroachers should be moved. It was decided that people who had moved in post January 1995 or had no reliable proof of their residence in the area prior to the date would be relocated. Though majority of the people have been rehabilitated, around 12,000 illegal
settlements are still inside the limits of the park.

"The decision has come as a major boost for the anti-encroachmentdrive of the forest department and at the same time a blow to thosewho opposed it," said a senior forest department official.

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