NGT issues stay order on roadwork in Aravallis
GURUGRAM: The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has made it clear that an 8-km road, which is being carved out of the Aravalli hills at Gairatpur Bas , 20 kms from city, cannot be constructed without permission from the Ministry of Environment and Forest (MoEF).
The tribunal was hearing a petition challenging the construction of the road that was supposed to pass through the Aravallis.
The petition was filed in March this year by RTI activist Harinder Dhingra and environmentalist Daniel George. The petitioners alleged that the road was being constructed on forest land, and that thousands of trees would have to be felled for its construction.
On Tuesday, three members of the NGT bench led by Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel ruled, “Learned counsel for the state of Haryana, on instructions from the executive engineer present in this tribunal, states that further proceedings with regard to construction of roads will be only after taking stage two clearance from the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.” The order was made available on Thursday.
Haryana’s Public Works Department (PWD), the agency that was constructing the road, is now preparing to move the MoEF for permission.
“There are no trees in the area as such. The PWD will seek permission from the ministry for carrying out the construction work,” said Rao Narbir Singh, a cabinet minister of the state.
Regarding the allegation of benefitting some farm houses in the area, the minister said the road was being built to benefit the local villagers, as it would significantly cut down the travel time to reach Tauru in Nuh.
Following the petition, the NGT had directed the PWD and the private construction company involved in the project not to proceed with clearing of the forest area and has put a stay order on the construction work.
The MoEF has earlier said that the land falls under the provisions of the Punjab Land Preservation Act, 1990, and is covered under the Aravalli Notification of 1992. This virtually means that this project has to be either abandoned or the proposed road has to find an alternative route without touching the Aravallis.
THE PROPOSED ROAD WAS ENVIRONMENTALLY DAMAGING