Notices to illegal colonies in Palwal

The Town and Country Planning Department in Palwal has issued notices to unauthorised constructions in the district’s recently declared controlled area. Although a demolition drive against such structures has been delayed due to restrictions under the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) of the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM), action is expected once restrictions are lifted.

In November last year, 19 villages along the Yamuna riverbank (Khadar area) were categorised as controlled area. However, eight illegal colonies have reportedly emerged in this zone over the past year, fuelled by increasing land prices and the commercial prospects of the upcoming Greenfield Expressway to Jewar Airport in UP.

Officials from the district administration revealed that agricultural land rates have surged over the past two to three years, leading to rampant colonisation. Despite regulations requiring a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the District Town Planner’s (DTP) office for property registration, unauthorised developments continue unabated.

Narender Nain, District Town Planner, confirmed that notices had been issued to seven or eight colonies developed after the notification of the controlled area limits. “We are monitoring these developments, and demolition drives will resume as soon as GRAP restrictions are lifted. In October, several constructions were removed from five such colonies,” he said.

A 2022-23 survey uncovered over 300 illegal colonies in the district, including around 100 colonies within urban limits and over 200 in rural areas of Palwal, Hodal and Hathin subdivisions.