Battle Against Railway Land Encroachments: India's Strategic Efforts Unveiled

Indian Railways is tackling land encroachments, with 1068.54 hectares currently under encroachment. Regular surveys are conducted, and actions taken for removal. Soft encroachments are handled with local authorities' help, while hard encroachments involve the PPE Act, 1971. Reclaimed land supports railway infrastructure development or commercial purposes.

Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has revealed that, as of March 31, 2025, Indian Railways holds approximately 4.99 lakh hectares of land, with 1068.54 hectares encroached over long periods across various regions of the nation.

Vaishnaw, addressing land encroachment queries in the Rajya Sabha, emphasized that regular surveys are carried out by the railways to identify and remove such encroachments efficiently.

The minister explained that soft encroachments, such as temporary settlements, are tackled in collaboration with the Railway Protection Force and local authorities. For permanent structures, enforcement is conducted under the Public Premises (Eviction of Unauthorised Occupants) Act, 1971, alongside state and police assistance. Reclaimed land is reused for railway infrastructure or commercial purposes through the Rail Land Development Authority.

(With inputs from agencies.)