Violence broke out on the outskirts of Rishikesh on Sunday during a survey of alleged encroachments on forest land being carried out on the directions of the Supreme Court of India. Protesters pelted stones at police personnel and blocked key roads and railway tracks leading to Rishikesh and Dehradun, injuring four policemen.
Police resorted to force to disperse the crowd and detained several protesters. Senior officials rushed to the spot to bring the situation under control. Road and rail traffic, which had been severely disrupted, was restored later in the evening.
Officials said the survey had been under way for the past three days in areas including Shivaji Nagar, Bapu Gram, Suman Vihar, Nadu Farm and Amit Gram, located on the fringes of Rishikesh.
Dehradun SSP Ajai Singh said adequate police force had been deployed for the survey. “Protesters blocked road and rail traffic. When officials asked them to clear the routes, they suddenly turned violent and started pelting stones. Four police personnel were injured. The situation was later brought under control,” he said, adding that cases were being registered and efforts were on to identify and arrest those involved.
The agitation also affected rail services, with at least four trains — including the Shri Ganganagar Express, Hemkund Express and Yoga Express — disrupted. Stranded passengers protested outside the station superintendent’s office at Haridwar railway station. Rail traffic resumed late on Sunday evening.
The survey follows the Supreme Court’s recent suo motu cognisance of large-scale encroachments on protected forest land in Rishikesh. The court took note of the issue while hearing a petition filed by Anita Kandwal, which challenged a November 14, 2025, order of the Uttarakhand High Court upholding the eviction of illegal occupants from forest land.
Observing that the matter required urgent judicial intervention, the apex court directed that the case be listed for further hearing on January 5, 2026, and noted that the administration was conducting a survey to submit a compliance report.
