*Case 1: “The registry of my house was completed in 1980. For the past 44 years, we have lived on our land peacefully. Suddenly, officials mark our homes in red, claiming that our house is in the green belt of the Kukrail river’s floodplain. My family is under severe stress; my wife hasn’t eaten in 24 hours. If anything happens to her, who will be held responsible?” laments Rakesh Mani Pandey, a resident of Pant Nagar.
*Case 2: “I took a loan for the construction of my house, and my registry was completed in 1999. How can this be illegal? My family is under heavy stress. Pant Nagar Colony comprises 1,200 houses and seven multi-storey complexes, all with proper registrations,” said Sanjay Sagar, echoing similar sentiments.
LUCKNOW Red marks on houses can make residents go through mental agony. And this holds true for people living in Abrar Nagar, Rahim Nagar, Shivani Nagar, Pant Nagar, and Indraprastha Nagar, where homes have been marked with a red cross by the Lucknow Development Authority (LDA), apparently due to their location in the area claimed to be a green belt on Kukrail riverbed, a protected area, undergoing rejuvenation.
Residents, who hold valid land registries, are bewildered and outraged, apprehending how their legally documented homes can face demolition under such circumstances. Adding to their frustration, no LDA officials have provided a satisfactory answer to their queries as to why the authority remained silent during the construction phase of these houses, if they were on protected land.
Pandey explained that he purchased the land from Rajdhani Housing Society, which acquired it from local farmers. “Their plots were properly registered, and no objections were raised during construction. We have lived here for 40 years, and now we are being told we have encroached on land meant for a green belt,” he rued.
This story was originally published in hindustantimes.com. Read the full story here.
