NGT seeks report on plea against construction of police lines on forest land in Aravalli

The National Green Tribunal has sought a joint report from the Centre and the Haryana forest department on a plea against the construction of a police lines in the forest land of Aravalli.

A bench headed by NGT Chairpersn Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel directed the Regional Office of the Ministry of Environment and Forests in Chandigarh and the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests to submit a report.

"Let a factual and action taken report in the matter be furnished jointly by the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, Haryana and the Regional Office of Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change at Chandigarh within one month by e-mail at judicial-ngt@gov.in. The nodal agency will be the PCCF, Haryana for coordination and compliance," the bench said.

The NGT directed the applicant to furnish a complete set of papers to the PCCF, Haryana and the Regional Office of MoEF&CC at Chandigarh and file an affidavit of service within a week.

The matter has now been posted for hearing on September 13.

The tribunal was hearing a plea filed by Haryana-resident Ram Avatar Yadav alleging that Haryana Police at Gurgaon is raising constructions in the forest land of Aravalli in Manesar village in Gurugram.

The land in question is recorded as 'Gair Mumkin Pahar' (land unfit for cultivation). The construction is not permissible without prior approval of the Central Government under the provisions of the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980, the plea said.

The applicant has relied upon the information under the RTI Act, 2005 that the land has been allotted to the Police Department of Haryana for construction of Police Lines within the Aravalli Plantation Forest which is a deemed forest. The applicant has relied upon the judgment of the Supreme Court.