Summary:
“Haryana government is hell-bent on destroying the Aravalis forest range... You are requested to examine the application and take necessary action and send report to this ministry within 15 days,” states a letter (a copy of which is with TOI) sent by inspector general of forests to the principal chief conservator of forests, Haryana government . GURUGRAM: The Union ministry of environment and forests (MoEF) directed the government of Haryana on Tuesday to submit a report within 15 days on the action it has taken to safeguard the Aravalis from rising cases of diversion of land for commercial use.“An email… addressed to HMEFCC (state forest department) on conservation/protection of Aravalis and its biosphere is forwarded to you. The directions were sent after a group of city-based activists took up the issue of degradation of the Aravalis with the ministry.According to the environmentalists, the state government has been diverting protected land for many non-forest activities. Even now, the state is constantly diverting the forest land for private and public non-forest projects,” said Vaishali Rana Chandra , a city-based environmentalist who is one of the activists raising the issue.The activists also met Union environment minister Dr Harsh Vardhan raising the need to protect the Aravalis from encroachment on December 28 last year..