Home / Environment / NGT Orders Gurgaon Pond Encroachment Removal
NGT Orders Gurgaon Pond Encroachment Removal
8 Sep
Summary
- Seven jhuggis, a temple, and platform encroached on water body.
- Road and footpath built by HSVP also found on pond land.
- NGT mandates removal of encroachments and restoration of johad.
In a significant ruling on August 24, 2026, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) mandated the removal of encroachments from a 2.5-acre water body in Gurgaon's Fatehpur Jharsa. The tribunal's order directed the demolition of seven jhuggis, a temple, and a masonry platform that occupied portions of the land recorded as a johad. Additionally, a government demarcation revealed that Haryana Shehri Vikas Pradhikaran (HSVP) had constructed a road and footpath over approximately 1,077 square yards of the water body's land.
The NGT rejected HSVP's argument that a May 25, 2015, high court status quo order protected the encroachments. The tribunal clarified that such orders do not permit new constructions on water bodies. The case originated in 2023 following a complaint detailing encroachment and waste dumping around the water body, leading to its effective area shrinking. Earlier, in October 2025, the NGT had criticized an HSVP submission for being deficient in detailing the encroached areas and individuals involved.
MCG reported that the site has since been developed with fencing, an open gym, and benches, with a treated water connection provided by GMDA. The NGT's decision, grounding its order in Supreme Court precedents, emphasizes that ponds are public utilities for common use and cannot be commercialized or allotted. This ruling follows a pattern of water body encroachment in the region, as highlighted by a 2020 report on a similar case in Fazilpur.
