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Chandigarh Administration Demolishes 50 Illegal Buildings around Sukhna Lake, Residents Protest

Reported by

Damandeep Singh

Legal Review by

Edited by

Updated by

Published on

April 28, 2018

March 4, 2024

Edited on

April 28, 2018

State

Chandigarh

Sector

Land Use

People Affected by Conflict

2880

Households Affected by Conflict

600

Land Area Affected (in Hectares)

103

ha

Starting Year

2012

Location of Conflict

Khuda Ali Sher

Chandigarh

Reason or Cause of Conflict

Encroachment by Non-Right Holders (Other than Caste-based)

Demolition of Illegal Structure

Land Conflict Summary

The enforcement wing of Chandigarh Administration razed 50 illegal structures in Khuda Ali Sher village in April 2018. These structures fell outside _lal dora. _
_Lal dora refers to village land used for non-agricultural purpose, such as keeping livestock. The revenue department marks these areas by tying a red thread (lal dor) as its boundary. Any construction in this area is considered illegal.
The demolition drive was carried out after directions from the Punjab and Haryana High Court, which had originally ordered the demolishing of the "illegal" buildings in 2003. According to reports, the buildings had been constructed on the catchment area of Sukhna Lake, which is prohibited by the law.
Officials from the Estate Office demolished the buildings with excavators and bulldozers under heavy police presence. The residents staged a protest and raised slogans against the administration and the Union government. They alleged that the administration had carried out the demolition drive without serving any prior notice, giving them no time to move their household items and added that the government had not provided them with any rehabilitation. According to officials, there is no legal provision to rehabilitate 'encroachers'.
Over the years, there have been reports of similar conflicts across villages in Chandigarh.
In August 2016, a newspaper
_reported: "According to the data of the department of rural development and panchayats, of the total area of 6,334 acres of villages under the jurisdiction of Chandigarh Administration, there is unauthorised construction beyond _lal dora _on 254 acres. In the last one year, the Estate Office has issued around 610 notices for illegal construction outside _lal dora _in different villages."

Fact Sheet

Demand/Contention of the Affected Community

Complaint against procedural violations

Demand for rehabilitation

Other Demand/Contention of the Affected Community

Region Classification

Rural

Type of Land

Common

Type of Common Land

Non-Forest (Other than Grazing Land)

What was the action taken by the police?

How many people did the police detain or arrest?

What is the current status of the detained/accused persons?

Did the person face any violence while in police custody?

Did the person face any violence while in police custody?

If any arrests took place, were the accused persons produced before a judge within 24 hours of the arrest?

If the accused was not produced before a magistrate within 24 hours, or not produced at all, what were the reasons?

Legislation under which the accused was charged

Was the accused person informed of their right to legal representation? Did the accused person have access to legal aid?

In cases where the accused person approached the court for bail, was bail granted?

Why was bail granted or rejected? If granted, what were the bail conditions and quantum of bail?

Were there any other notable irregularities that took place, or other significant details?

Details of sources (names of accused, names and numbers of any lawyers, names of any police officers contacted)

Status of Project

Original Project Deadline

Whether the Project has been Delayed

Significance of Land to Land Owners/Users

Residential area, Non-agri rural enterprise

Whether the project was stalled due to land conflict

Source/Reference

Total investment involved (in Crores):

Type of investment:

Year of Estimation

Page Number In Investment Document:

Has the Conflict Ended?

No

When did it end?

Why did the conflict end?

Legal Data

Categories of Legislations Involved in the Conflict

Environmental Laws, Other

Legislations/Policies Involved

Wetlands (Conservation and Management) Rules, 2017
Rule 4 [Construction activities of a permanent nature are prohibited within wetlands]
Capital of Punjab (Development and Regulation) Act, 1952
Section 4(1)(d) [The Chief Administrator may issue directions prohibiting the erection of buildings in any locality]; Section 5 [No person shall erect or occupy any building in Chandigarh in contravention of any building rules made by the state government]
Chandigarh Building Rules (Urban), 2017
Appendix XIV [No construction shall be allowed on wetlands and water bodies]
Punjab New Capital (Periphery) Control Act, 1952
Lal Dora abadi areas are notified under and governed by the provisions of this Act. Section 5 [Restrictions on construction in controlled areas without prior written permission of the Director]
  1. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

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    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

  3. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

  4. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

  5. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

  6. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

  7. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

Whether claims/objections were made as per procedure in the relevant statute

What was the claim(s)/objection(s) raised by the community?

What was the Decision of the Concerned Government Department?

Legal Processes and Loopholes Enabling the Conflict:

Forced evictions/dispossession of land

Violation of environmental laws

Non-rehabilitation of displaced people

Legal Status:

In Court

Status of Case In Court

Disposed

Whether any adjudicatory body was approached

No

Name of the adjudicatory body

Name(s) of the Court(s)

High Court of Punjab and Haryana at Chandigarh

Case Number

C.W.P. No. 18253 of 2009

Main Reasoning/Decision of court

A division bench of the court jointly heard seven petitions filed in respect to the allegedly illegal construction over the catchment area of Sukhna Lake. The court vacated the earlier stay orders restraining the demolition of the buildings in the area and directed that all illegal and unauthorised constructions raised in the catchment area be demolished within three months. As relief to the families whose building maps were approved by the Chandigarh Administration, the court directed that alternative sites be allotted to them in close proximity of Chandigrah and a uniform compensation of INR 25 lakh be paid to all the house owners. The court also imposed a fine of INR 1 crore each on the States of Haryana and Punjab as punitive damages for permitting illegal activities and constructions in the protected Sukhna Lake area. The Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change was directed to use these funds for the restoration of the lake on an urgent basis.

Major Human Rights Violations Related to the Conflict:

No items found.

Whether criminal law was used against protestors:

No

Reported Details of the Violation:

Date of Violation

Location of Violation

Additional Information

Nature of Protest

Protests/marches

Complaints/petitions/letters/memorandums to officials

Government Departments Involved in the Conflict:

Chandigarh Administration

PSUs Involved in the Conflict:

Did LCW Approach Government Authorities for Comments?

Name, Designation and Comment of the Government Authorities Approached

Corporate Parties Involved in the Conflict:

Did LCW Approach Corporate Parties for Comments?

Communities/Local Organisations in the Conflict:

Indian National Congress (INC) , Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP)

Information on the use of criminal law

What was the action taken by the police?

How many people did the police detain or arrest?

What is the current status of the detained/accused persons?

Did the person face any violence while in police custody?

If any arrests took place, were the accused persons produced before a judge within 24 hours of the arrest?

If the accused was not produced before a magistrate within 24 hours, or not produced at all, what were the reasons?

Legislation under which the accused was charged

Was the accused person informed of their right to legal representation? Did the accused person have access to legal aid?

In cases where the accused person approached the court for bail, was bail granted?

Why was bail granted or rejected? If granted, what were the bail conditions and quantum of bail?

Were there any other notable irregularities that took place, or other significant details?

Resources

Resources Related to Conflict

  • News Articles Related to the Conflict:
  • Documents Related to the Conflict:
  • Links Related to the Conflict:

Images

Image Credit:  

Image Credit:  

Video

The enforcement wing of Chandigarh Administration razed 50 illegal structures in Khuda Ali Sher village in April 2018. These structures fell outside _lal dora. _
_Lal dora refers to village land used for non-agricultural purpose, such as keeping livestock. The revenue department marks these areas by tying a red thread (lal dor) as its boundary. Any construction in this area is considered illegal.
The demolition drive was carried out after directions from the Punjab and Haryana High Court, which had originally ordered the demolishing of the "illegal" buildings in 2003. According to reports, the buildings had been constructed on the catchment area of Sukhna Lake, which is prohibited by the law.
Officials from the Estate Office demolished the buildings with excavators and bulldozers under heavy police presence. The residents staged a protest and raised slogans against the administration and the Union government. They alleged that the administration had carried out the demolition drive without serving any prior notice, giving them no time to move their household items and added that the government had not provided them with any rehabilitation. According to officials, there is no legal provision to rehabilitate 'encroachers'.
Over the years, there have been reports of similar conflicts across villages in Chandigarh.
In August 2016, a newspaper
_reported: "According to the data of the department of rural development and panchayats, of the total area of 6,334 acres of villages under the jurisdiction of Chandigarh Administration, there is unauthorised construction beyond _lal dora _on 254 acres. In the last one year, the Estate Office has issued around 610 notices for illegal construction outside _lal dora _in different villages."

Demand/Contention of the Affected Community

Complaint against procedural violations

Demand for rehabilitation

Other Demand/Contention of the Affected Community

Region Classification

Rural

Type of Land

Common

Type of Common Land

Non-Forest (Other than Grazing Land)

Total investment involved (in Crores):

Type of investment:

Year of Estimation

Page Number In Investment Document:

Has the Conflict Ended?

No

When did it end?

Why did the conflict end?

Categories of Legislations Involved in the Conflict

Environmental Laws, Other

Legislations/Policies Involved

Wetlands (Conservation and Management) Rules, 2017
Rule 4 [Construction activities of a permanent nature are prohibited within wetlands]
Capital of Punjab (Development and Regulation) Act, 1952
Section 4(1)(d) [The Chief Administrator may issue directions prohibiting the erection of buildings in any locality]; Section 5 [No person shall erect or occupy any building in Chandigarh in contravention of any building rules made by the state government]
Chandigarh Building Rules (Urban), 2017
Appendix XIV [No construction shall be allowed on wetlands and water bodies]
Punjab New Capital (Periphery) Control Act, 1952
Lal Dora abadi areas are notified under and governed by the provisions of this Act. Section 5 [Restrictions on construction in controlled areas without prior written permission of the Director]
  1. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

  2. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

  3. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

  4. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

  5. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

  6. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

  7. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

Whether claims/objections were made as per procedure in the relevant statute

What was the claim(s)/objection(s) raised by the community?

What was the Decision of the Concerned Government Department?

Legal Processes and Loopholes Enabling the Conflict:

Forced evictions/dispossession of land

Violation of environmental laws

Non-rehabilitation of displaced people

Legal Status:

In Court

Status of Case In Court

Disposed

Whether any adjudicatory body was approached

No

Name of the adjudicatory body

Name(s) of the Court(s)

High Court of Punjab and Haryana at Chandigarh

Case Number

C.W.P. No. 18253 of 2009

Main Reasoning/Decision of court

A division bench of the court jointly heard seven petitions filed in respect to the allegedly illegal construction over the catchment area of Sukhna Lake. The court vacated the earlier stay orders restraining the demolition of the buildings in the area and directed that all illegal and unauthorised constructions raised in the catchment area be demolished within three months. As relief to the families whose building maps were approved by the Chandigarh Administration, the court directed that alternative sites be allotted to them in close proximity of Chandigrah and a uniform compensation of INR 25 lakh be paid to all the house owners. The court also imposed a fine of INR 1 crore each on the States of Haryana and Punjab as punitive damages for permitting illegal activities and constructions in the protected Sukhna Lake area. The Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change was directed to use these funds for the restoration of the lake on an urgent basis.

Major Human Rights Violations Related to the Conflict:

No items found.

Whether criminal law was used against protestors:

No

Reported Details of the Violation:

Date of Violation

Location of Violation

Nature of Protest

Protests/marches

Complaints/petitions/letters/memorandums to officials

Government Departments Involved in the Conflict:

Chandigarh Administration

PSUs Involved in the Conflict:

Did LCW Approach Government Authorities for Comments?

Name, Designation and Comment of the Government Authorities Approached

Corporate Parties Involved in the Conflict:

Did LCW Approach Corporate Parties for Comments?

Communities/Local Organisations in the Conflict:

Indian National Congress (INC) , Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP)

Resources Related to Conflict

  • News Articles Related to the Conflict:
  • Documents Related to the Conflict:
  • Links Related to the Conflict:

Image Credit:  

Image Credit:  

Documented By

Text Link

Reviewed By

Text Link

Updated By

Text Link

Edited By

Text LinkLand Conflict Watch
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