Pune’s Panshet and Varasgaon Dam Areas See Over 300 Notices Issued for Land Encroachments

Water Resources Department issues 300+ notices for alleged encroachments near Panshet and Varasgaon dams, targeting hotels, resorts, and farmhouses, while decades-old village settlements face uncertainty over legal status.

Pune | 28 November 2025: The Water Resources Department has taken strict action against illegal land use in the Panshet and Varasgaon dam areas of Rajgad taluka, Pune. Over 300 notices have been issued to individuals and commercial establishments suspected of encroaching on government land, Sub-Divisional Engineer Mohan Bhadane of the Khadakwasla Water Resources Division confirmed on Thursday.

So far, enforcement has been carried out at more than 40 locations along the Pune–Panshet Road, including hotels, resorts, and farmhouses. The initiative is part of a broader drive to reclaim government land along dam zones and key access routes, as officials aim to protect water resources and preserve environmental integrity.

However, the action has raised concerns among local residents of around 38 villages that have been situated on government-acquired land for over five decades following rehabilitation efforts. These settlements are well-established, featuring schools, temples, crematoriums, and water infrastructure, leading residents and community leaders to demand formal village status and legal land rights. Proposals for regularisation of these settlements have been pending for over ten years.

Bhadane clarified that the current focus is on unauthorised commercial properties, but some residential structures have also received notices in line with government directives. The department has assured that the drive will continue in a phased manner, balancing enforcement with sensitivity to long-standing residents.

The development underscores ongoing tensions between government efforts to protect public land and the rights of generations-long communities along the dam peripheries.

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