Developer charged with illegal rock cutting in Aravallis

Despite a blanket ban on carrying out any illegal activity in the Aravalli hills by the Supreme Court, rampant rock cutting activities are allegedly being carried out in Gurgaon in the name of development.

Despite a blanket ban on carrying out any illegal activity in the Aravalli hills by the Supreme Court, rampant rock cutting activities are allegedly being carried out in Gurgaon in the name of development.

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In a fresh case, it has come to light that builder group Uddar Gagan Properties Private Limited (UGPPL) is allegedly involved in rock cutting in the Aravalli hills.

However, UGPPL, which developed Sun City colony in Sector 54, said it has got adequate permission for rock cutting. “The rock cutting is being done to level the area under our jurisdiction. We have been granted permission from the mining department,” said Harender Singh, a UGPPL official.

However, the city’s mining department has granted permission to the developer for removal of ordinary clay and stones. In geological terms, it is called RMMS — Road Metal and Masonic Stone.

“We granted the permission to cut masonic stones under a well defined act of the Haryana government. We have not violated the court order,” said a mining official.

However, the government does not permit any kind of rock cutting in the Aravalli range.

“The builder and mining officials have connived to mislead the Act’s provision. The permission has been granted against the ruling of the Supreme Court,” said Sun City resident Abhey Poonia.

“The builder is taking advantage of absence of proper demarcation between sold plots and Aravalli hills. The builder has trespassed nearly 20-foot into the hills, apparently removing historical rocks of Aravallis,” added Poonia, who complained to the state and central governments after visiting the site.