Haryana s real estate sharks are poised to devour our forests

Transcription

1 Haryana s real estate sharks are poised to devour our forests

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3 Forests in Haryana are much less than target Haryana NCR Haryana India Actual Forest Cover 3.59% Official Target 10% 20% 33% Thus the little forest cover in Haryana Aravallis needs full and permanent protection of zoning, forest, wildlife and environment laws, like in Delhi and Rajasthan.

4 This is Haryana s (hardly any) Forest map Can you spot the forest? Its only 3.59% in the Shivaliks & the Aravallis

5 Aravalli hills coincide with the forest cover of south haryana So, protecting the Aravallis protects the forest. Gurgaon With protection, the open forest cover can turn to dense forest cover. Faridabad

6 Gurgaon development plan (2021) Zoning as Biodiversity Park Zoning as Natural Conservation Zone (NCZ) Zoned as a Forest

7 NCZ Zoning in the Regional Plan 2021 Prepared by the NCR Planning Board in 2005 Natural Conservation Zone (NCZ) Aravallis forests water bodies rivers recharge areas Limit on extent of construction of 0.5%, Regional Recreational Areas (e.g Sanctuary or regional Parks) NCZ already lost - 26% (fbd), and 1% (Gurgaon) No further CLUs in NCZ

8 Except in the urbanizable area

9 Gurgaon Master Plan 2031 (2012) Haryana SRP (June 2014) The Aravalli ranges have been designated as Natural Conservation Zone in the Plan in accordance with Regional Plan-2021 except those areas which are coming in the urbanisable area. (emphasis supplied). Therefore, Aravallis part of NCZ, EXCEPT in urbanizable areas End result: Not forest, not NCZ,

10 Threat 1: Demand to delete cap on construction (0.5%) in Aravalli Natural Conservation Zone (NCZ) Govt. of Haryana is pushing the NCR Planning Board to remove the limit on construction in Aravalli hills of 0.5% (1/200). NCRPB has asked Haryana to justify their request The limit keeps real estate out of the Aravallis

11 Forest & NCZ Forest Notified Recorded Dictionary meaning Forest type Forest cover Ownership Size location Natural Conservation Zone (NCZ) ground truthing - confirmed and status to be decided Haryana SRP excluding Aravallis,

12 Punjab Land Preservation Act 1900

13 Sec 4 & 5 of PLPA Gurgaon Master Plan Areas notified as Sec 4 and 5 are treated as forest, as per the orders of the Supreme Court till these orders are modified

14 Threat 3: Committe formed to review if Sec 4 and 5 of PLPA is forest PLPA - forest as per 2004 order in MC Mehta Now Sandhu (21 May 2014) judgement of honble Supreme Court. Committee Report for Gurgaon submitted to Chandigarh Punjab Land Preservation Act (PLPA) will become non-forest.

15 Mangar Bani. Is this a forest? Government of Haryana has not yet declared

16 Threat 3: 3 Forest Cover is not treated as official forest in Haryana Aravallis Forest cover in the Aravalli hills not treated as deemed forest as per dictionary meaning Godavarman (1996), Samatha (1997) & Lafarge judgements (2011) of the hon ble Supreme Court. 10 page letter of refusal sent to MoEF in May 14 MoEF s direction to mandatorily identify forest as per dictionary meaning, in Sept 2014, still stand unimplemented Even Mangar Bani, the best forest in Gurgaon & Fbd is not yet officially a forest

17 Threat 4: Aravalli Commonlands have been privatized, & real estate players have built landbanks 1. Commonlands are privatized thru revenue record jugglery. 2. Panchayat/shamlat lands are divided up. 3. Examples abound Gwal Pahari 454 acres Bandhwari 4000 acreas Mangar 3800 acres Kot 2600 acres Companies have built massive landbanks of cheap aravalli gair mumkin pahar lands.

18 The Aravallis house our forests Give us groundwater, clean the air & are the last refuge for wildlife

19 Critical Ecosystem Services Aravallis in South Haryana Ecological infrastructure / Natural Capital Provide critical ecosystem services For both urban and rural areas If valued would run into 1000s of crores per yr

20 Importance of Aravallis i. Ground Water Recharge ii. Sweet ground water keeps salinity at bay iii. Desertification barrier iv. Air quality v. Temperature vi. Tourism nature based vii. Forest cover viii. Wildlife habitat ix. Wild life Corridor Delhi (Asola) to Raj (Sariska)

21 Forest cover As population doubles, per capita forest cover will halve. Strategy to protect existing forest cover as legal forest, Zone for taking forest cover to 10%

22 Leopard

23 Mangar Bani 2015 FD has identified Bani area 430 acres in Mangar 100 acres in Bandwari Honble CM has restored buffer to 500 m Next steps Zone mangar bani zone + buffer of 500 m in Sub Regional Plan of Haryana. Notify as Sanctuary Notify as PLPA 4/5 pending since 2011.

24 Agenda for the future 1.Measure and report on forest cover for gurgaon 2. Zone for 10 % forest cover 3. Protect existing forest cover 1. Identify deemed forest 2. Record as forest in the revenue record 3. Notify as Reserve /Protected forest 4. Notify large scale protected areas 4. Conservation Reserve / Sanctuary /National park 5. Enforce NCZ 6. Freeze construction in aravallis