Multi-storeyed houses inside 'City Forest'

GHAZIABAD: A sprawling 400 acre partly-forested land on the banks of the river Hindon, designated as Kanha Upvan, now has multi-storeyed houses with electricity and street lighting that extends over several thousand square metres of its area.
Worse, realtors have already marked out plots for sale on other parts of the land that was named Kanha Upvan in 2004 by then municipal chief R B Maurya.Yet, Ghaziabad's civic body has made no attempt to get the area notified as a forest by the state government. Perhaps because of simmering dispute over the land. Long before it had been designated as Kanha Upvan, flood-affected families had been handed out ?pattas' on some parts of the land and have been farming on it ever since.
Last month, Ghaziabad Development Authority (GDA) finally adopted 130 acres of the Upvan, still owned by GMC, to inaugurate what they named "City Forest". GDA then fenced much of the area with steel mesh. By Thursday evening though, farmers whose land had been enclosed, in connivance with some land sharks, demolished part of the meshing.
On Friday afternoon, at a meeting of the GDA, nagar nigam, and other government bodies, and presided by GDA chief Santosh Yadav, it was decided that "wire meshing will continue to be erected around the 130-acre City Forest", a GDA official revealed. For the benefit of farmers who own agricultural land inside this area, three manned gates will be set up to ensure that only authorised farmers can enter.
When asked about the pucca houses and the street lighting inside Kanha Upvan, Yadav evinced surprise. "We've already served a month's notice to all those who have carried out constructions in the Kanha Upvan. I'm not aware of street lights and plot markings though. I'm shocked by the development and will ensure that those responsible for the virtual urbanisation of the forest area are booked. I'll also coordinate with the nigam to ensure that such activities are stopped."
Nagar nigam chief H K Singh was not available for comments.