Illegal construction still on in Aravalis, trees cut & walls built

                Gurgaon: Aravali hills, located about 1.5km from Gurgaon-Faridabad Road, are facing irreversible damage due to illegal construction and cutting of trees. Recently, a stone 
wall was built 
around 3 acres of land using rocks taken from the Aravalis.This land is supposed to be protected as a natural conservation zone and both Punjab & Haryana high court and 
Supreme Court 
have clearly said no construction is allowed there. The affected site is part of Bandhwari village, which falls under the city's municipal area.The Aravalis are especially tricky 
to manage 
because, even though construction is restricted, much of the land is privately owned. Also, in Haryana, many parts of the Aravalis are listed under the revenue department 
instead of the forest 
department and are not officially considered forests.Forest analyst Chetan Agarwal said, "The area in question exhibits dense vegetation, rocky terrain and ecological 
characteristics typical of 
a forest, making it a vital green buffer in the region.""Although its legal classification is pending, it is supposed to be treated as a Natural Conservation Zone (NCZ) under 
regional planning 
guidelines. It is intended to protect ecologically sensitive areas from any kind of construction or land modification. However, due to the absence of clear, finalised forest 
status, the area 
remains highly vulnerable to encroachments and illegal activities," Agarwal said.District town planner RS Bhath said GMDA officials will talk to MCG regarding the issue. 
"Necessary action 
will be taken once MCG highlights the issue with us. As the land belongs to them, they will have to draw the legal framework for such kind of action," Bhath told TOI. This is 
the same area 
where TOI reported in 2020 that an entire hill was flattened to make way for a road—an incident that drew public outrage and sparked legal and environmental concerns. 
"This kind of blatant 
violation in a protected zone is not new. We saw a hill being flattened in 2020 and now we're seeing another ecological disaster unfold just a few kilometres away," Sunil 
Harsana, an 
ecologist, said. "Without immediate intervention and stricter enforcement, we risk losing what's left of this fragile ecosystem."In Bandhwari, the land includes rocky, 
uncultivable hills and 
sandy foothills, both of which are important for wildlife and for replenishing groundwater. Environmentalists and local officials are now warning that if action isn't taken soon, 
the damage to this 
sensitive area could be irreversible.The Aravalli range, one of the oldest mountain systems in the world, plays a vital role in maintaining ecological balance, groundwater 
recharge and air 
quality in the NCR region. Environmentalists and legal experts are urging authorities to revisit enforcement mechanisms and ensure compliance with existing court orders to 
prevent further 
degradation. Despite this, authorities have yet to take action against the violators.



Source : Times of India