The National Green Tribunal (NGT) on Tuesday reserved its order on a matter pertaining to the felling of trees in Faridabad by Bharti Land – a sister company of Airtel, for a construction project.
A Bench headed by NGT chairperson Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel was hearing a plea moved by a former Army man, Lt Gen (retd) Sarvadaman Oberoi.
The plea alleged that the State government had granted permission to two companies for felling trees in the Aravalis without obtaining requisite forest clearances. It was contended that the area, recorded as gair mumkin pahad (land unfit for cultivation), is a part of the deemed forest.
Haryana pulled up
During the hearing, the Bench told the State: “Why are you shying away from demarcating the land? You are the State government and you have to see what is right and wrong, and place your house in order.”
However, the counsel appearing for the project proponent said that the firm was being “targeted” as construction on adjacent plots are continuing.
“How is my 52 acres on forest land while on all four sides of my boundary [other] constructions are taking place?” said firm argued.