By Arun Pratap Singh
Garhwal Post Bureau
DEHRADUN, 1 Aug: The continued existence of illegal mazars inside the Rajaji Tiger Reserve has raised serious questions over the protection of Government forest land and the effectiveness of enforcement by the Forest Department. The issue has assumed significance as the State government continues its drive against illegal encroachments across Uttarakhand, while several unauthorised religious structures are still reported to be standing within one of the State’s most protected forest areas.
The question is when the tourists visiting the Tiger Reserve are not permitted to get down from their vehicles or walk inside the protected forest in order to safeguard wildlife and preserve the fragile ecosystem, how have these illegal religious structures been allowed to be constructed inside the reserve forests. Despite these stringent restrictions, illegal mazars have allegedly come up on forest land and people are said to be visiting them freely, with two-wheelers and four-wheelers reportedly reaching the sites without any apparent hindrance. In some places, caretakers are also alleged to have established shops and other commercial activities around these structures.
The issue is not confined to the Rajaji Tiger Reserve alone. Similar illegal mazars have also been reported from the Haridwar Forest Division, particularly in and around Haridwar, one of Hinduism’s holiest pilgrimage centres. The alleged encroachments have once again brought the functioning of the Forest Department under scrutiny, with critics questioning how permanent unauthorised structures could come up inside Reserved Forests and protected areas where even routine public access is strictly regulated.
It may be reminded here that the forest land notified as Reserved Forest or forming part of a Tiger Reserve enjoys the highest level of legal protection, and no person can occupy or construct permanent structures on such land without lawful authority. In this backdrop, the continued presence of illegal mazars inside protected forests has prompted questions over how such encroachments were allowed to develop and expand over the years.
The Pushkar Singh Dhami government has, over the past several months, intensified its campaign to remove illegal mazars and other encroachments from government land across the State. During the drive, illegal mazars inside the Corbett Tiger Reserve came to light and were subsequently removed by the administration. According to the official figures released earlier, the Government has demolished 596 illegal mazars across Uttarakhand, with officials stating that no human remains were found at any of these locations.
Despite the ongoing campaign, reports indicate that several illegal mazars continue to exist inside the Rajaji Tiger Reserve and the Haridwar Forest Division. It is alleged that what may initially have been a single encroachment has gradually multiplied into several structures, resulting in the continued occupation of valuable government forest land.
The alleged encroachments are situated in the Tiger Reserve adjoining the Old Industrial Area, close to Har Ki Pauri. The matter has reportedly been brought to the notice of senior officials, including Haridwar District Magistrate Mayur Dixit, who is understood to have informed the Rajaji Tiger Reserve authorities. The Tiger Reserve administration has however maintained that further action is presently stayed by a court order.
However, the existence of the stay has itself given rise to further questions. Critics have sought to know what stand was taken by the authorities before the court and what measures have been initiated to get the stay vacated and secure the removal of the alleged encroachments. They contend that while the matter has remained pending, additional illegal structures have reportedly come up around the original site, further increasing the extent of encroachment on protected government forest land.
The issue has also drawn sharp reactions from religious organisations in Haridwar. Nitin Gautam, President of Shri Ganga Sabha, said there should be no place for illegal non-Hindu religious structures in Haridwar and asserted that if the Park administration failed to remove them, the organisation would be compelled to initiate its own course of action within the framework of the law. Mahamandaleshwar Rupendra Prakash Maharaj, Peethadheeshwar of the ancient Avadhoot Ashram, has also supported the demand for the removal of illegal constructions from the Haridwar region.
The continued presence of illegal mazars inside a protected Tiger Reserve, despite an ongoing State-wide anti-encroachment drive, has intensified demands for uniform enforcement of the law. Observers argue that if the Government is committed to protecting forest land and removing illegal encroachments elsewhere, similar action should also be ensured in every Reserved Forest and protected area without exception, subject to the outcome of judicial proceedings wherever applicable.
