Drive to end encroachment on Noida Expressway

The local administration, along with the Indian Air Force (IAF) officials, conducted a massive anti-encroachment drive against 35 illegal farmhouses spread over several acres of government land, in the Nagla-Nagli village along the Noida Expressway on Wednesday, following an Allahabad High Court (HC) order.

According to the IAF officials, they bulldozed unauthorised construction on 40 acres of land in the village. The HC, in July, 2017, had directed the district administration to identify the IAF land allotted decades ago and to initiate criminal proceedings against the accused. Several acres of land was grabbed by colonisers and illegal colonies were developed. The 482-acre land belongs to the Ministry of Defence, given to the IAF for a bombing range in 1950.

"Several notices issued were not taken seriously. The encroachers were served show cause notices on November 8 and then eviction notices on December 1. Several encroachers came to the spot after knowing about the eviction drive," said A K Shrivastava, in-charge of anti-encroachment drive and group captain in the IAF.