In a recent development, the Uttarakhand High Court has extended the deadline by a week for the state government to devise an eviction strategy for families residing unlawfully in the Kalagarh Dam area of Pauri district. The directive came from a division bench comprising Justice G Narendar and Justice Alok Mehra, who have now set May 5 as the new date for the submission of an affidavit detailing the planned eviction.
This decision underscores the ongoing legal and administrative challenges associated with the dam area, which, while predominantly located in Uttar Pradesh, has its encroached sections managed by the electricity and forest departments of Uttarakhand. The court’s intervention follows a meeting between officials from both states, intended to formulate a coherent response to the encroachment issue, as mandated by an earlier court order.
During this meeting, Uttar Pradesh articulated its position, stating it has no current policies aimed at the rehabilitation of illegal encroachers, which further complicates the matter. Following this update, Chief Standing Counsel C S Rawat informed the court of these developments, leading to the extension granted by the high court.
The land in question was originally acquired by the Uttar Pradesh government in 1960 from the forest department for dam construction, later transferring it to the irrigation department. Post-construction, some land was returned, but over time, it became the site of encroachment by retired employees among others.
