158 hectares of forest area to be acquired for Noida airport

NOIDA: Nearly 158.1 hectares of forest reserve area at Karauli Khadar village in Jewar tehsil, currently with the forest department, is likely to be acquired for the upcoming Noida airport. The second phase of land acquisition for the airport project has already begun.
The forest area concerned is nearly 3km from the airport site. The district forest officer (DFO) said the Yamuna Expressway Industrial Development Authority (YEIDA) would give the forest department another land parcel to develop a forest on in place of this 158.1 hectares.
"It's a forest reserve area spread across nearly 158.1 hectares. There has been no decision yet on whether the land will get acquired for the airport. But if it is, it will be a long procedure since it involves taking permission from the government of India," said DFO Pramod Srivastava.
A forest reserve area is a designated land where forest ecosystems and their associated resources are conserved and protected. These areas may be subject to specific rules and regulations regarding logging, hunting, and camping to minimise their impacts on the natural environment.
"To acquire land within an existing forest reserve area, the government needs to denotify the land. The forest reserve area has the lowest protection level, i.e., several human activities, restricted in many other wildlife area categories (like sanctuaries and national parks), are allowed within the purview of law in a forest reserve area. But one cannot easily acquire it since experts will first study whether the area has any wildlife importance. They will survey many other aspects too," said Dr Pranab J Patar, an environment & sustainability professional.