Home / Environment / Pond Land Grab: Construction halted on Manesar wetland
Pond Land Grab: Construction halted on Manesar wetland
23 Jul
Summary
- NGT prohibited construction on Manesar land marked as a pond.
- Land was acquired by HSIIDC for rehabilitation and resettlement.
- Revenue records show land as a pond in 2023-24 and earlier.
The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has halted construction activities on a significant 6.93-acre plot in Manesar's Naharpur Kasan. This directive follows the identification of the land as a "gair mumkin johad," a non-cultivable pond, in the latest revenue records from 2023-24. The Haryana State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation (HSIIDC) had acquired the land for rehabilitation and resettlement colonies intended for farmers whose lands were previously acquired.
A joint committee's inspection report revealed that the pond area had been completely filled and encroached upon, with a metal road being constructed during their July 17 visit. The NGT has ordered HSIIDC and other stakeholders to respond to this report by the next hearing on October 5. The tribunal noted that the land is identified as a wetland in revenue records and the national wetland atlas.
While HSIIDC officials stated that planning for the settlement began over a decade ago and revenue records from 1993-94 to 2018-2019 listed the land as 'gair mumkin,' the most recent records clearly mark it as a pond. It remains uncertain if the initial approvals were based on older records. The NGT's intervention was prompted by allegations that the construction violated Wetland (Conservation and Management) Rules, 2010, and could negatively impact groundwater levels.
