Encroachment coupled with development projects endangers 265 acres of Aravallis

Gurugram: A large part of Aravallis in Gurugram is vulnerable not only to encroachment from the land mafia but also from various development projects which if implemented can adversely affect the forest area.

A large number of trees spread in the area of 265 acres will be cut on the implementation of the projects. The projects involve the construction of the road to Sector -58 and setting up the camp for the security officials. As of now, the project has been stayed by various courts.

There is however fear among the environmentalists that the state government can go ahead and carry out development activities as it has passed the law to remove a substantial amount of forests from the protected cover.

It is important to note that to remove a sizeable portion of the forest area from Aravallis, the Haryana government had passed the Punjab Land and Preservation Act (PLPA) Bill in 2019. The the government however was not able to implement the act as the Supreme Court stayed the order.

The reason, why activists continue to fear over the prospect of Arvallis, is because of the 89,526 hectares of forest area in Haryana, 33 percent of Aravallis comes under PLPA.

Moreover, the activists claim that the government has added provisions which would allow the strong builder lobby and other vested interests to ransack the forest and over 30,000 acres of forest area also at risk of being destroyed completely. Amid the protests to save Aravallis, incidents of rampant encroachments in the forest area continue to be reported.

After leveling allegations of the land mafia destroying a substantial part of the forest area of Aravallis around Kot and Mangar, now the environmentalists in Gurugram claim that forest land around Ghata is being usurped illegally.

Situated along the Golf Course road that has the most expensive commercial and residential properties of Gurugram, the swathes of the forest area of Ghata village for long have been vulnerable for expanding the city's real estate.

A group of environmental activists in their written complaint to the office of Deputy Commissioner, South Haryana forest division and the Gurugram police have mentioned that over 15 acres of forest land have already been taken over illegally. Moreover, it has also been alleged that over 1000 trees have been axed to clear the forest area.