The word ‘Encroachment’ common meaning is ‘illegal usage of resources on which you don’t have legal rights’. The encroachment could take place at road, buildings, and government infrastructures, privately owned land, building or any property. In India, the Encroachment Issues are very visible. It can be done at various level i.e. Encroachment by poor’s, Encroachment by any builder or construction company.

Housing and Occupation is every citizen’s basic need and for that people migrate from rural areas to cities. This is the very first issue of increased encroachment. As we all can witness that poor people come from rural areas for the search for a new job and they don’t have enough money say at a safe or good place. Then they had to go by the option of living on the roadsides. This is very commonly seen labor class or daily wages workers.

In our day to day life, we can even see this near to us. Like, using street areas as a personal property for various reasons i.e. ‘Parking Vehicle, Animal Shed, Guard/Employee room etc. Many financially unstable people put their food and other products stall just to earn their livelihood, but this also comes in the category of land encroachment issue. The fact is that in maximum cities of the country the government is incapable of proving a workplace or job opportunity to these poor people. This inefficiency of government leads to an increase in unemployment.

The builders or rich bungalows were also can be seen many a time involved in the Encroachment Issue. Sometimes builders occupy land illegally or occupy the road area just to increase the compound land, this increase could be a little or even a lot. This is the illegal encroachment of land by the building company.

Poor people occupy land illegally because affording a land or renting a room in cities would become a costly living for them. Encroachment near river or canal side might cost a lot to all in the near future. We all need water for our day to day life, and this encroachment can make water scarcity in the city. It also creates the misuse of natural resources which can be retrieved from land only.

So, I think we all need to take this encroachment issue very seriously and take preventive steps towards it to minimize encroachment of land and help the poor’s and people who are in need.