The Haridwar district administration has demolished an unauthorised illegal shrine erected on state-owned land in the Suman Nagar area following a sustained anti-encroachment drive.
Our correspondent reports that the structure, described as a mazar-type shrine, stood on approximately two bighas of land belonging to the Uttar Pradesh Irrigation Department within Runipur police station limits. A demolition notice had been served days earlier, but no action was taken by the encroachers, prompting removal on Tuesday morning under heavy police supervision.
Officials said that a joint team of the district administration, local police, and the irrigation department executed the operation under the supervision of Sub-Divisional Magistrate Jitendra Kumar. Religious items were respectfully removed before the structure was razed using a JCB machine.
Our correspondent adds that the clearance was carried out in compliance with policy directives to remove illegal constructions encroaching on public land. The administration said similar cases are being closely monitored and land records in sensitive zones will be audited.
Residents in the Suman Nagar area described the demolition as orderly, though some raised questions about prior engagement with religious stakeholders. District officials said the action is not about targeting a religious practice but about enforcing land-use laws and preserving public property.
The state government has repeatedly emphasised its zero-tolerance stand on illegal holdings of government land, especially in hill districts where land-use disputes are common. In this instance, the land in question was leased for agricultural use, but the leased plot was subsequently converted into a shrine without formal approval. Notices issued in advance remained unheeded.
In the wake of this demolition, authorities have commenced fresh surveys of government land across the district to identify encroachments and take timely action. The district magistrate has directed all departments to submit status reports on unauthorised structures within two weeks.
The administration assured that religious practices may continue subject to prescribed norms and lease arrangements, but no structure can stand on government land after ignoring formal procedures. Legal action including recovery of the land and cost of removal may follow.
