GURUGRAM: The forest department has rejected the proposal of the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG) to allot a forest land for setting up a petrol pump.
According to the forest department, the land comes under Aravali plantation area and cannot be diverted for commercial use. This came after the MCG requested an NOC to lease out the 1,500 sqm land to Indian Oil Corporation for setting up a retail outlet in Chakkarpur. Several environmental activists and residents have also criticised the civic body’s move.
“We did a survey of the land and found that the land falls under the Aravali plantation area. We will be informing MCG that the allocation of the said land for construction of a petrol pump is incorrect,” said a senior forest official.
He added that in case MCG needs a nod for the project then it can approach the ministry of environment and forests (MoEF). “We cannot give permission for the diversion of Aravali plantation area,” said the officer.
Earlier several environment activists and residents of the city have written letters to the chief minister and various agencies urging them to cancel the lease.
“The forest in this patch of land also acts as a buffer against the localised air pollution between the road and the residential area and thus the government should avoid giving away the forest land for commercial purposes,” an activist said.