The deadline for the report has been set to September 30. The Tribunal also directed the ministry to submit its final report on the issue during the next hearing on November 12.
The National Green Tribunal (NGT) on Tuesday directed Haryana government to submit its stand on a 2017 Union environment ministry report that stated that a housing project of Bharti Land Ltd. in Aravallis, Faridabad district, was proposed on 'deemed' forest land. The deadline for the report has been set to September 30. The Tribunal also directed the ministry to submit its final report on the issue during the next hearing on November 12.
A three-member NGT bench, headed by Chairperson Justice AK Goel, passed the directions while hearing an on-going matter by Lt Col (retd) Sarvadaman Singh Oberoi who has alleged that Bharti Land's project is coming up on the fragile forest areas of Aravallis. The housing project falls in Sarai Khawaja village in Faridabad district.
During the arguments on Tuesday, the applicant's counsel, Ritwick Dutta, said that the Haryana government permitted tree felling even as the forest department had pointed out that the status of the land was not defined. In his tree felling permission, Haryana's Additional Chief Secretary SK Gulati had said that the Bharti land is not a protected, reserved or unclassed forests; not notified under Section 4 and/or 5 of the Punjab Land Preservation Act (PLPA), 1900, and no plantation under Aravalli Project has been undertaken by the Forest Department on the above said land.
Dutta then also added that environment ministry's regional office carried out an enquiry on the basis of complaints filed against the housing project and a report was submitted to NGT on August 17, 2017. "The land in question is recorded in the Jamabandi as 'Gair Mumkin Pahar' and thus clearly a part of the Aravalli and thus would automatically be part of Natural Conservation Zone.
This has been the view of the MoEF&CC before the National Capital Regional Planning Board....thus, the letter granting felling permission is legally incorrect," the report said on state government's permission.
Earlier in the hearing, the Haryana government made an argument similar to what was stated in the letter granting permission to fell trees. Additional Advocate General for Haryana Anil Grover said that the land in question does not fall under Punjab Land Preservation Act, nor does it fall in Gair Mumkin pahar category or forest.
The NGT bench listed the matter for November 12.
Govt’s Rebuttal
Additional Advocate General for Haryana Anil Grover said that the land in question does not fall under Punjab Land Preservation Act, nor does it fall in Gair Mumkin pahar category or forest
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