Land Grab in Dehradun’s Khalanga Forest Sparks Outrage: 40 Bighas of Reserved Forest Illegally Fenced

Dehradun’s Khalanga forest, already under public scrutiny due to last year’s tree felling controversy, has once again become a flashpoint. This time, the issue is even more alarming — nearly 40 bighas of reserved forest land in the Nalapani area has been fenced and gated by private individuals, allegedly with intentions of claiming ownership.

According to early reports, a man from Haryana has put up a large gate and fencing around this protected forest area, located near Halduam on Khalanga Road. Locals and activists are raising serious concerns about a potential land mafia operation aimed at grabbing ecologically sensitive land. Even more concerning is the threat to ancient trees, some estimated to be four to five thousand years old, in the region.

The person reportedly responsible for the fencing claims to have taken the land on lease from Rishikesh, though no documents have been publicly presented to support this assertion. Sources suggest that the land may be intended for camping and commercial activities.

A viral video of the incident has sparked outrage across social media. In the footage, a woman can be seen questioning the legality of the activity, to which a man on-site replies that he is a contractor and that the land belongs to Ashok Agarwal from Rishikesh. The video clearly shows the erected gate and fencing on what is officially protected forest land.

Upon receiving the information, the forest department responded swiftly, dismantling the gate and initiating an investigation in coordination with the revenue department. Officials confirmed that any unauthorized fencing or land occupation in a reserved forest area is illegal and subject to prosecution under the Forest Conservation Act.

“The area is under close watch now. We have removed the illegal gate and are verifying the land status in coordination with revenue records,” said a forest department official on condition of anonymity.

Environmentalists and citizen groups are demanding strict legal action and have called for a transparent inquiry into how such a large parcel of forest land could be encroached without immediate detection. There is also growing pressure on the state government to strengthen monitoring of protected zones, especially in ecologically critical districts like Dehradun.

This incident also reignites concerns about corruption in land lease processes and the lack of digital fencing or geo-tagging of forest lands, which activists argue are essential to prevent future encroachments.

As the probe continues, all eyes are now on the forest and revenue departments to ensure accountability and to preserve one of the region’s oldest and most biodiverse forest ecosystems.