Gurgaon: The latest forest survey report has shown that Gurgaon has lost almost 2.5SQKM from forest cover, the highest in the state.
Reports by Indian forest surveys, released on Thursday, also said that Haryana’s forest cover, on the other hand, increased by 1SQKM.
This survey was conducted between October 2019 and February 2020 for assessment of 2021.
According to reports, while state forest cover rose 0.06% only, that throughout the country saw a 0.22% increase.
While Haryana’s forest cover was 1,602sqkm in October 2019, increased to 1,602sQKM in February next year.
But Gurgaon is not the only district who sees losses in forest cover.
There are nine other districts – Faridabad, Bhiwani, Hisar, Jhajjar, Karnal, Melat, Palwal, Rohtak and Yamunanagar.
While Gurgaon lost 2.47sqkm from forest cover during the four-month study period, Bhiwani saw a loss of 2.39sqkm, Noah 0.55sqkm, Rohtak 0.74sqkm, faridabad 0.71sqkm, karnal 0.60sqkm and so on.
The total area of Gurgaon forest now stands at 113.71SQKM.Officials say the decrease in forest cover is because most of the land has been transferred for temporary non-forest purposes of sanctions development projects, especially widening roads.
“The development project, most roads, has taken large pieces of forest land in Gurgaon.
In the coming years, more fields will be converted into non-forest categories because of several road widening projects,” said an official.
Meanwhile, the main conservator of the forest vs Tanwar showed two main reasons.
“First, there are several highway projects that cut forest areas.
Another reason is agro-forestry activities, which are not done because of the Covid situation.
We will bring the Eucalyptus iPhra Pradesh to increase the cover of our tree.
But we have not been able to do it too late.
“Close the tree, however, is reduced by 140SQKM throughout the state.
Tree cover is different from the forest.
This is defined as a tree patch which is less than 1 hectare and is outside the area marked as a forest.
The Haryana tree cover was reduced from 1,565sQKM to the 1.425sqkm.haryana forestry policy, framed in 2006, has improved the target of 20% of forest cover and trees in the state in 2020.
But the latest reports have asked questions about what it is achieved on the ground .
“We lose tree and forest cover every year.
Data clearly describes the lack of intention in the government to protect the remnants of forests in the region,” the Vaishali Rana Chandra neighborhood said.
Green activists expressed some expectations on marginal increase in Haryana forest cover, but also marked A caused concern about the increasing infrastructure project.
“Trees that are outside the forest conservation area have no protection.
So, they fell to prey on urbanization.
The government’s actions continue to inhibit the state forest area,” said Vivek Cambodia, an environmentalist.
Experts show that the recent amendment in PLP Law, 1900, will remove at least 240 meters SQVali in South Haryana from the state reserves of forest areas.
Also, around 8,000 hectares of Aravalis in Faridabad have not been considered part of the Natural Conservation Zone (NCZ) by the Government of Haryana.
It is very important for the forest to stay under NCZ as construction on land exceeding 0.5% of the total area is not allowed.
Faridabad’s cover, which has been maintained by the government outside the NCZ, will be open to real estate projects now.
GGN sees the sharpest decline in forest cover in Haryana, dip in nine other dysts too
