The Supreme Court Friday directed Haryana government to not enact a law, which opens thousands of acres to real estate construction in Aravalli forests, ANI reported.
The Supreme Court Friday directed Haryana government to not enact a law, which opens thousands of acres to real estate construction in Aravalli forests, ANI reported.
“It is really shocking. You are destroying the forest. It is not permissible,” the top court told the state government.
Haryana has been a witness to a massive outcry from Opposition for amending few provisions of Punjab Land Preservation Act, which now allow construction and other non-forest activity in Aravalli forests. The amendment to the 119-year-old Act will have a huge impact on the protected Aravallis forests in National Capital Region (NCR).
In a tussle between BJP and Congress, it was alleged by the Opposition that the move “reeked of a multi-crore scam” and the amendment would take out the protected forest areas and ecological preserves of the Act’s ambit. Meanwhile, Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar said in the House that, “It is a very old Act and amending it is the need of the hour since much has changed over time”.
The Act was introduced before partition by the then Punjab government in 1900. The law provided for the conservation of subsoil water and/or prevention of erosion in areas found to be subject to erosion or likely to become liable to erosion.
The Opposition had claimed that Haryana has less than 7 per cent forest cover and the Aravallis help in maintaining ecology in the NCR as well as Delhi. Further, it said, the legal amendment will give sanction to the unauthorised constructions that came up since 1966 as the new law will come into force with retrospective effect.
“It is really shocking. You are destroying the forest. It is not permissible,” the top court told the state government.
Haryana has been a witness to a massive outcry from Opposition for amending few provisions of Punjab Land Preservation Act, which now allow construction and other non-forest activity in Aravalli forests. The amendment to the 119-year-old Act will have a huge impact on the protected Aravallis forests in National Capital Region (NCR).
In a tussle between BJP and Congress, it was alleged by the Opposition that the move “reeked of a multi-crore scam” and the amendment would take out the protected forest areas and ecological preserves of the Act’s ambit. Meanwhile, Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar said in the House that, “It is a very old Act and amending it is the need of the hour since much has changed over time”.
The Act was introduced before partition by the then Punjab government in 1900. The law provided for the conservation of subsoil water and/or prevention of erosion in areas found to be subject to erosion or likely to become liable to erosion.
The Opposition had claimed that Haryana has less than 7 per cent forest cover and the Aravallis help in maintaining ecology in the NCR as well as Delhi. Further, it said, the legal amendment will give sanction to the unauthorised constructions that came up since 1966 as the new law will come into force with retrospective effect.