Gurugram: Golf Course Road green belt cleared of squatters

GURUGRAM: After long wait, the four-kilometre-long green belt on Golf Course Road extension was freed from encroachments on Thursday.
Around 100 illegal structures, including nurseries, eateries, construction material storages and hutments were razed by the enforcement team of department of town and country planning (DTCP).
With the help of three JCB machines, the enforcement team led by district town planner RS Batth along with police started the drive at 9.30 am from near Pioneer Park residential colony.
Batth told TOI, “It was a major drive and around 50 policemen, officials from GMDA and DTCP were present. We cleared around four kilometres stretch, razed several temporary structures mostly nurseries and eateries which were illegally developed on the green belt”.
The move comes after Batth inspected the area on Tuesday following complaints of residents. The residents had alleged that the encroachments have not only destroyed the green space but has also deprived residents of pedestrian space.
Many illegal shops, eateries and liquor vends had come up on the road between sectors 62 and 65. Thursday’s demolition drive came as a huge relief for hundreds of residents of condominiums on the Golf Course Road extension. “We had written more than 10 complaints to different departments, including chief minister’s office and DTCP, requesting removal of encroachment from the green belt. Now that the squatters have been removed, our open area is back. This is a huge relief,” said Gunjan Saxena, a resident.
Another resident from Nirvana Country, Rajesh Srivastava said, “These illegal structures on the green belt dumped lot of waste in the adjoining areas creating unhygienic surrounding”. He said many residents lived in fear of health issues but finally there is some relief. “We request the authorities to ensure that these illegal structures do not come back here in future,” Srivastava added.