E-Paper
Gurugram: Report on felling 500 trees for urban forest sought
Gurugram The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has sought a report from the forest department in response to allegations of violation of forest law in Sikanderpur Ghosi
Gurugram The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has sought a report from the forest department in response to allegations of violation of forest law in Sikanderpur Ghosi village, where the Gurugram Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA) is currently with an NGO, IAmGurgaon, to build an urban forest.
A petition filed by a city-based RTI activist, earlier this month, has alleged that the NGO, which is behind urban forestry projects, such as the Aravalli Biodiversity Park and the Wazirabad bundh, cleared about 500 trees in Sikandepur Ghosi to build a cycling track on protected land.
The petition, filed by Ravinder Yadav, states that khasra numbers 420,457 and 493 of Sikanderpur Ghosi village in Gurugram are “illegally being used for purpose of creating pedestrian track by an NGO — Iamgurgaon. As is evident from the relevant jamabandis and RTI replies by the appropriate authority, the land is a gair mumkin pahar.” The petition further states that the land-use category of ‘gair mumkin pahar’ is protected from construction, as per an MoEFCC circular dated May 7, 1992, (also known as the Aravalli notification).
Ambika Yadav, the advocate for the petitioner, said, “As per the notification of 1992, any construction that includes cutting down of trees in protected zones, in this case, the Aravallis (gair mumkin pahar), cannot be done without clearance from appropriate authority. In this case, nothing has been done in this regard, hence the respondents are answerable for such contravention.”
In an order dated September 16, the NGT observed, “Before proceeding further, we find it necessary to require a factual and action taken report from principal chief conservator of forests, Haryana.” However, GMDA officials and representatives of the NGO maintained that there has been no violation of forest law in the matter.
MD Sinha, additional CEO (urban environment), GMDA, said, “The project in question is one of reviving the Sikanderpur water body and the surrounding watershed as a forest. For this, some bush clearing has taken place, which is a normal forestry practice carried out even in national parks, with required permissions from the forest department. The petition doesn’t stand as there is no non-forestry activity being carried out here.”
Sinha also added that no tree has been cut in the area. “To the contrary, there have been about 15,194 native trees that have been planted here. Eventually, as the forest canopy grows, we might have to cut a few mesquite trees, once the native Aravalli flora has been established,” he added.
Latika Thukral, founder, IAmGurgaon, declined to comment.
The ongoing forestry work in Sikandepur is part of the GMDA’s attempts at reviving the area’s natural Aravalli ecology. After the Aravalli Biodiversity Park and the Wazirabad bundh, this project will give the city its third such native urban forest.
According to a concept paper shared by the GMDA, “The principal objective of the project proposal is the revival of the Sikanderpur waterbody and eco-restoration of the surrounding watershed/ habitat restoration in an ecologically sustainable manner, besides preservation of green areas as accessible public space for the residents of Gurugram.”
