Forest department to MCG: No nod for ‘oxy-van’

Gurgaon: The state forest department on Tuesday refused to approve the MCG’s proposal of creating a 100-acre ‘oxy-forest’ in Chakkarpur. In a letter to the MCG commissioner, it said the civic body’s decision to give the land to a real estate firm would set a precedent for the entire Aravali landscape and pose a threat to ecological balance.
The portion of land proposed to be developed by the MCG is covered under the ambit of the Forest Conservation Act.
“A developer has sought to modify the parcel of land to elevate the economic value of its adjacent colony. The area already has dense vegetation and is serving its full potential as an ‘oxy-van’. Therefore, the proposal appears to be a coloured exercise supported by just jargon. The forest department is not inclined to approve it as it will have a larger implication for the Aravalis,” said Vasavi Tyagi, chief conservator of forests, south Haryana.
Environmentalists are also against the MCG proposal, saying the earmarked land is a thick forest area with crown density of nearly 80%, consisting of Aravali thorns and shrub species. The area, they added, acts as an urban ‘heat sink’ and contributes to groundwater recharge.
“The MCG plan is not valid as the area is already a forest. It is not clear why it wants to remove a forest to create another one,” said environment activist Vivek Kamboj.
On June 5, the state government had set a target to plant three crore saplings this year and to develop two areas in each district into ‘oxy-forests’. The growth of every plant will be monitored through geo-tagging. These forests will occupy 10% of the 8 lakh hectares of land across Haryana.
The MCG had sought the forest department’s permission on June 25 but the latter had raised serious objections, pointing out that its proposal amounted to ‘un-foresting’ a forest and the project would destroy the area’s natural forest cover, apart from disturbing wildlife.