GURUGRAM: As Mangarbani , the sacred grove on the Gurgaon-Faridabad border , awaits official status as a forest, the assault on its vegetation continues. Nearly 15 trees in the grove were cut in the early hours of Sunday under the cover of darkness despite the police being alerted about an attempt to do so, sources in the forest department said."We reported two attempts of tree cutting in the area to the police," said an official. "A group of unidentified people have intruding into the area for last two days. On Saturday, the third attempt was made and they were successful."The forest department has confirmed the violation and also filed a police complaint. D Hembrem, conservator of forest, Gurgaon circle, told TOI, "We have fenced the area to prevent any entry. We have also increased surveillance."The latest tree-felling is on a patch of land where 800 trees were axed last year, and a case in the National Green Tribunal (NGT) was subsequently filed against the owner of the land by legal expert and environmentalist S S Oberoi.Locals claimed they knew of a plan to start a liquor vend on the patch. "As a case in NGT is on, it seems that the owner of the land wants to give it on rent till the case is resolved. The owner is a powerful person in the area and nobody will come forward to file a complaint against him," said a villager, who didn't wish to be named.This is the second attempt in the last one month to encroach on land in Mangar. On November 5, TOI had reported that a dhaba had encroached on Mangarbani land. An FIR was filed and two arrests were made but the dhaba continues to operate there. Saturday's tree-cutting happened on land just opposite the dhaba. The area is close to the Asola Bhatti wildlife sanctuary. Vivek Kamboj of Haryali, an environmental NGO, said, "Ever since the dhaba has come up, plot owners have been trying to build on their land as they know nothing can be done once a structure is built. It is shocking that such grave environmental violations are taking place." Jitender Bhadana, a Faridabad-based environmentalist, said forest officials have also been sloppy. "Two major encroachment attempts in a month in Mangarbani make it evident that there is laxity on the part of officials."In February 2016, Mangarbani was demarcated as a 677.12 acre forest area with a buffer zone of 500 metres. The state government announced a 500-metres buffer area as a 'no-construction zone'. But the grove is still awaiting official status as a forest.

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