Uttarakhand: 86 houses in Muslim settlement demolished in Ramnagar’s Puchhadi village

Millat Times Desk

31 October 2026 (Publish: 08:50 AM IST)

0

Authorities in Uttarakhand’s Nainital district demolished 86 houses belonging to families in the Muslim settlement of Puchhadi village, Ramnagar, during an anti-encroachment drive on Saturday. The administration said the houses were built on government forest land and were being removed as part of an ongoing effort to clear encroachments.

According to media reports, the district administration and Forest Department had initially planned to demolish 83 houses in the area. The operation was conducted under heavy security, with more than 1,200 police and forest personnel deployed alongside 28 JCB excavators.

Terai Western Forest Division’s Divisional Forest Officer (DFO), Puneet Kumar Tomar, said the department had issued notices to 92 people during the second phase of the operation. However, nine structures were excluded because their cases were pending before the court. The remaining 83 houses were scheduled for demolition.

The Forest Department had also conducted an earlier demolition drive in the same area on December 7, 2025, when 51 houses and huts were reportedly demolished. Around two acres of land belonging to Ramnagar Municipality’s trenching ground were also cleared during that operation.

However, subsequent reporting by Aaj Tak on October 31 put the number of demolished permanent houses at 86. It described the affected area as a Muslim settlement along the Kosi River in Puchhadi and reported that approximately 14 hectares of forest land were cleared.

During the latest operation, several residents reportedly began dismantling their houses themselves as the administration arrived with heavy machinery. The authorities divided the area into multiple security zones and sectors to maintain law and order.

The demolition has left dozens of families facing the loss of their homes and belongings.