In Anangpur, construction has spread across 35 acres of protected Aravalis, with plots openly offered for ₹12,000–14,000 per square yard. The land is protected under Sections 4 and 5 of the Punjab Land Preservation Act and lies within the 200-metre no-construction buffer around the 1,100-year-old Anangpur dam–Suraj Jheel complex, protected by the Archaeological Survey of India. Some forestland is classified as “gair mumkin pahar” (uncultivable hill).

The activity continues despite Supreme Court directions in 2022 to demolish illegal buildings on protected Aravalis. Villagers have written to Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini about new encroachments. Surveys and an SC-appointed committee have identified nearly 6,000 violations in Anangpur. Land near the dam has been subdivided into plots and houses; boundary walls, stone-paved platforms and farmhouses have appeared close to the dam precinct, with some structures showing fresh stonework and building material on site.

An Anangpur delegation met Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini on Wednesday at the PWD Rest House in Gurugram, urging him to stop demolitions under the Aravalli forest-land reclamation drive. Union Minister of State Krishan Pal Gurjar and Faridabad MLAs Mool Chand Sharma, Satish Fagna and Dhanesh Adlakha accompanied the villagers.

The drive follows a 2022 Supreme Court directive to remove illegal structures from land protected under Section 4 of the Punjab Land Preservation Act. A 2023 state survey identified over 5,900 unauthorised constructions across several villages, mostly farmhouses, banquet halls, gates and boundary walls; more than 5,000 fall under forest department jurisdiction. Residents have no documents for the forest land.

The campaign began in Anangpur last month and is expected to extend to Lakkarpur, Mewla Maharajpur and Ankhir. Notices were also served in Gurugram’s Gairatpur Bas, Sakatpur and Manesar. Saini said the government would respect the court’s orders and refer the matter to the state Coordination Committee to prepare a petition seeking relief from the Supreme Court.

A district committee identified 6,793 unauthorised structures across 780 acres in Lakarpur, Mewla Maharajpur, Anangpur and Ankhir. In June 2025, officials demolished 241 structures—mostly farmhouses and banquet halls, plus three jhuggis—across Anangpur, Lakarpur and Ankhir, clearing more than 261 acres. The September compliance report showed demolitions concentrated on farmhouses and banquet halls. Government agencies’ structures accounted for nearly one-fourth of encroached forest land; around 530 major structures across categories including government buildings, religious sites and educational institutions occupied 302 acres. Six schools and colleges stood on about 60 acres. More than 5,700 houses occupied 188 acres in Anangpur; small homes were left untouched. Untouched religious structures included 18 temples on 12 acres, 21 ashrams on 30 acres and eight gaushalas on 10 acres, totalling 51.67 acres. The Supreme Court’s 2022 order covered land notified under Section 4 of the Punjab Land Preservation Act and required removal of illegal structures. Haryana sought repeated extensions; in August 2025, it said it was awaiting Central Empowered Committee guidance on religious structures.