Over 330 Mazars Razed In Last 90 Days – Uttarakhand Govt's Crackdown On Illegal Religious Structures In 'Devbhoomi' Continues

The Uttarakhand government has started a massive crackdown against the illegal construction of Mazars and similar religious structures on government land.

Within the last three months, over 330 Mazars have been demolished in a large-scale effort by the administration to eradicate illegal religious practices, specifically in forest areas.

The demolition drive in Uttarakhand gained momentum following intelligence inputs, which suggested a surge in 'religious encroachments' in the 'Devbhoomi'.

Uttarakhand is referred to as 'Devbhoomi' due to many pilgrimage sites located in the state.

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami has said that the drive against "encroachments will continue in the Devbhoomi" and there will be no tolerance for land jihad in Uttarakhand.

On Monday (15 May), nine Mazars in the forest area were demolished by the Corbett tiger reserve administration.

Restricted safaris are the only human activity allowed in tiger reserves, but at Corbett reserve, access to Mazars inside the forest was allowed.

“Acting on the government instructions, we have taken stringent steps against illegal encroachments," Corbett Tiger Reserve director Dhiraj Pande was quoted by News18 as saying.

"A week back we served notices to those associated with the Mazars but none responded and as a result demolition drive took place," Pande added.

Over 325 mazars have been demolished in the past three months, freeing about 91 hectares of forest land, according to the official cited in the report.

Parag Madhukar Dhakate, IFS officer overseeing the anti-encroachment drive, has instructed the officials to plant fruit saplings in the freed land.

“I am asking divisional forest officers to plant fruit saplings in the land now free from encroachments," Dhakate was quoted as saying by News18.

CM Dhami's assertive stance over the issue has reportedly left Congress, the main opposition party, silent.

Congress has maintained that Mazars erected before 1980 should have been regularised.

Officials, however, have emphasised that no claimant came forward in any instance.