The Haridwar district administration demolished an alleged illegal Mazar built on government land belonging to the Irrigation Department in the Suman Nagar area on Wednesday morning. The operation, carried out with bulldozers under heavy police presence, was supervised by Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) Jitendra Singh and formed part of the state government’s ongoing zero-tolerance policy against encroachments.
According to officials, the structure, locally known as the tomb of Roshan Ali Shah Baba and measuring approximately 10 by 15 metres, had been built by encroaching on public land. A notice was issued to the Khadims (caretakers) of the Mazar one month ago, giving them time to produce ownership or construction documents. No valid papers were submitted by the deadline, prompting the action.
#WATCH | Uttarakhand | Haridwar district administration carries out an anti-encroachment drive on an alleged illegal structure built on government land in Suman Nagar
— ANI (@ANI) April 22, 2026
(Source: Haridwar Administration) pic.twitter.com/Z4Fsqapr9M
The caretakers voluntarily removed their belongings before the demolition, which officials described as peaceful and conducted after completing all legal formalities. Notably, no ancient structures, relics, or human remains were found beneath the Mazar after it was razed. Only a few bricks and some one-rupee coins were discovered under a large fig tree where the structure once stood.
The move aligns with Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami’s directive to clear encroachments from government property and preserve the cultural and religious character of Devbhoomi Uttarakhand, particularly in Sanatan centres such as Haridwar. “Maintaining the form of Sanatan and cultural centres like Haridwar is the government’s priority,” CM Dhami has stated. He has also emphasised that “the business of encroaching on government land by covering it with green-blue sheets will not be tolerated at all.”
The district administration has confirmed that the campaign to free government land from encroachments will continue. Statewide, authorities have already removed around 600 illegal structures as part of this drive.
