Haridwar: The district administration in Haridwar on April 22 morning demolished an allegedly illegal Mazar constructed on government land owned by the Irrigation Department in the Suman Nagar area. The action, carried out using bulldozers amid a heavy police presence, was overseen by Sub-Divisional Magistrate Jitendra Singh and was part of the state’s ongoing zero-tolerance drive against encroachments.
#WATCH | Uttarakhand | Haridwar district administration carries out an anti-encroachment drive on an alleged illegal structure built on government land in Suman Nagar
(Source: Haridwar Administration) pic.twitter.com/Z4Fsqapr9M
— ANI (@ANI) April 22, 2026
Officials stated that the structure, locally referred to as the tomb of Roshan Ali Shah Baba and spread over roughly 10 by 15 metres, had been built by encroaching on public land. A notice had been served to the Mazar’s Khadims (caretakers) a month earlier, asking them to provide ownership or construction documents. However, no valid documentation was submitted within the stipulated time, leading to the demolition.
The caretakers vacated the site in advance, removing their belongings before the demolition began. Officials described the operation as peaceful and carried out only after completing all legal procedures. After the structure was cleared, no ancient artefacts, relics, or human remains were found beneath the Mazar.
Authorities reported discovering only a few bricks and some one-rupee coins under a large fig tree at the site.
The action is in line with directives issued by Pushkar Singh Dhami to remove encroachments from government land and safeguard the cultural and religious identity of Uttarakhand, especially in prominent Sanatan centres like Haridwar. The Chief Minister has reiterated that preserving the traditional character of such regions is a priority and warned that attempts to occupy public land under any pretext will not be tolerated.
District officials have confirmed that the anti-encroachment drive will continue, adding that nearly 600 illegal structures have already been cleared across the state as part of the ongoing campaign.
