Garhwal Post Bureau
Haridwar, 22 Apr: In continued action against illegal encroachments, the district administration in Haridwar today demolished an unauthorised mazaar constructed on the irrigation department land in Suman Nagar near Garhmirpur. The action, carried out under the supervision of SDM Jitendra Kumar, follows a prior notice served to the caretakers of the illegal structure asking them to produce ownership and construction documents. With no response received within the stipulated time, the structure was razed on Wednesday morning.
The officials confirmed that, before the demolition, the caretakers had removed their belongings and that no remains of any human body were found beneath the structure. Heavy police deployment ensured security during the operation, which freed nearly ten bighas of government land. District Magistrate Mayur Dixit stated that the action was part of the state government’s ongoing campaign to clear encroachments, under which eight bighas of land have already been reclaimed. He reiterated that no illegal occupation of government property will be tolerated and similar actions will continue across the district.
The site in question had earlier been allotted to Tehri rehabilitation beneficiaries, but later a mazaar was erected, leading to complaints from locals demanding restoration of government land. The administration investigated and issued notices, but with no valid documents produced, the demolition was executed.
It may be recalled that Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami has repeatedly emphasised that Devbhoomi, particularly Haridwar, must retain its cultural identity. He has directed strict action against illegal religious structures built on government land. The officials noted that this was not the first such operation in Haridwar, as similar encroachments in Bahadarabad and Garhmirpur have recently been removed. The government claims that nearly 600 unauthorised structures, majority of them being religious structures of a particular faith have already been dismantled as part of the campaign.
