Environment Ministry Clears 68ha of Protected Aravalli Forest for Development in Haryana

Image Source: Internet

The Environment Ministry has approved the diversion of 67.68 hectares of protected Aravalli forest in Haryana's Faridabad, sparking concerns over the potential impact on the environment and the rule of law. According to minutes of a recent Forest Advisory Committee (FAC) meeting, the approval allows for the development of non-forest areas within the protected forest, including a Gymkhana club, a regional labour institute, fire and police stations. The FAC approved the proposal after the Haryana Shahari Vikas Pradhikaran (HSVP) applied for ex-post facto approval, citing that the land was utilized for non-forestry purposes from 1990-1994 without prior approval. The Supreme Court had ordered in 2022 that all land covered by special orders under Section 4 of the Punjab Land Preservation Act (PLPA) be treated as forests and subject to the Forest Conservation Act 1980. However, the FAC has recommended ex-post facto approval for the violations, directing the Haryana government to pay five times the penal NPV for the extent of area wherein approval of component authorities was issued after March 18, 2004. Critics argue that the approval sets a precedent for other parties to violate forest conservation laws and seek post facto approval. Forest analyst Chetan Agarwal has pointed out that the decision benefits the rich and middle-class population, while penalizing the poor. He has called for a comprehensive forest restoration plan to be prepared before final approval is provided. The Haryana government has claimed that no individual officer can be held responsible for the projects, and that the user agency has offered to double the degraded forest land for compensatory afforestation in a nearby village. However, environmental experts have raised concerns over the degraded state of the compensatory land and the potential impact of the development on the Aravalli forest ecosystem.