Forest dept stalls felling of trees on three stretches after legal notice

Sources said that the development came following a legal notice by Advocate HC Arora, who raised strong objections over the decision of the state forest department to widen the road without constituting a high level committee. It is a mandatory procedure, as per the submission of Haryana government in Punjab and Haryana High Court, in January. Advocate HC Arora sent a notice to the state forest department on March 30.

The HC, while disposing off a Public Interest Litigation (PIL), filed by Arora in January, directed the Haryana government to explore all possible alternatives to save over 1,100 trees scheduled to be cut for the road widening. Arora said, “I learnt that no sincere efforts were made for reviewing the situation for saving the trees. Junior level officers of the PWD department and forest departments conducted a field survey. Not much trees were being saved. The department did not constitute any high level committee. I issued a notice to the state forest department. Without the inspection of high level committee, the felling of trees will be consider as the contempt proceeding.”

Sources said, “The chopped trees are being auctioned through the online portal of Haryana Forest Development Corporation (HFDC) from time to time. Many auctions as per the prescribed rates of tree species including khair, eucalyptus, pine, etc., were conducted successfully. There are a few other reasons also for deferring the work of felling of trees. For instance, a portion of the wildlife sanctuary, Khol-hai-Raitan, falls between Panchkula and Madana. There was also an issue of financial year which ended in March, 2022.”

The three directions for widening include Panchkula-Tikkar Tal link road from the side of Trilokpur, Panchkula to Madhana and Madhana to Morni. Meanwhile, the felling of trees at the fourth stretch, Jalaha to Khaidabagra, has almost been completed.

“We have decided to widen roads from three directions after spot inspection of three stretches by a high level committee. The work from the fourth direction, Jalha to Khaidabagra, was completed a long time ago. We are ready to examine the three stretches by a high level committee of experts, hence the maximum trees would be saved,” Division Forest Officer (DFO), Morni, Bhupinder Raghav, said.

In his notice to the Haryana Forest Department sent on March 30, Advocate Arora stated, “Instead of considering the matter at the highest level by constituting some high level committee, for reviewing the project, and just a lip service has been done by the authorities by getting a field survey conducted at a very junior level, which comprised a Junior Engineer of PWD and some Range Officers of Forest Department. The aforesaid conduct on the part of the concerned authorities amounts to commission of contempt of the High Court. As a consequence of the aforesaid field survey, there is not likely to be more than 10-15 per cent reduction in the planned tree felling”. The state government through Additional Advocate General, Deepak Balyan, submitted in the court, “All the possible steps to save the trees will be taken while widening of the Morni-Panchkula road.”

Morni Hills spread over 52,000 acres of forest area, touches the boundaries of Himachal Pradesh. The recent Indian State of Forest Report (ISFT)-2021 states a marginal increase in the forest cover of Haryana but tree cover was decreased. The state government decided to develop Morni as an adventure activities hub. In October, 2021, Haryana CM Manohar Lal Khattar had flagged many adventure activities including water sports.