New Delhi: In a significant anti-encroachment operation, the Defence Estates Office of the Delhi Circle announced the successful removal of illegal occupation from two acres of prime defence land adjacent to Terminal 1D of Indira Gandhi International Airport. This operation was conducted on Friday.
The land, situated in the Mehram Nagar area of Delhi Cantonment, had reportedly been occupied unlawfully for several years. The joint operation involved collaboration with the Delhi Cantonment Board, local military authorities, and the Delhi Police, as stated by Varun Kalia, Defence Estates Officer for the Delhi Circle.
Kalia highlighted that the operation resulted in the dismantling of unauthorized parking zones, the impounding of vehicles, and the demolition of illegal animal shelters. Additionally, numerous small and large structures that had been erected on the land were also removed.
This operation marks the second significant encroachment removal initiative in the area within recent weeks. A similar action was undertaken the previous week to reclaim other portions of defence land in Mehram Nagar, Kalia noted.
According to the Defence Estates Office, the reclaimed land is valued at approximately Rs 100 crore. Authorities intend to repurpose this land for defence and military-related infrastructure.
“Encroachments on defence land pose silent threats to national security. We will continue to take stringent action against all such violations,” Kalia asserted. He emphasized the importance of these efforts in light of Delhi’s high demand for land and the necessity to safeguard properties critical for defence purposes.
The Ministry of Defence is the largest land-owning government entity in the country, overseeing approximately 1.75 million acres of land, as indicated in the statement.
