Gurgaon: The State Forest Department has filed a serious objection to the corporation of Gurgaon’s City (MCG) plans to create ‘Oxy Forest’ 100 hectares in Chakkarpur.
In a letter to MCG, it shows that the proposal amounts to “un-foresting” forests and projects will destroy the regional natural forest cover, in addition to disturbing wildlife.
The area where ‘Oxy Forest’ has been planned to have a thick scrub vegetation with the crown density of almost 80%, consisting of Aravali Duri and bush.
This acts as an urban ‘hot sink’ besides contributing to groundwater charging, the department said.
In addition, there are no non-forestry activities permitted in the area under the Forest Conservation Act, 1980.
“A large 200-acre eco restoration project in the adjacent Sikanderpur-Chakkarpur area has been going on by MCG in collaboration with GMDA, What should be enough for the establishment of ‘Oxy van’ (forest) for Gurgaon according to the CM scheme, “said Vasavi Tagyi, Head of Forest Conservator, Haryana Selatan.
“Let’s maintain ‘van’ as ‘van’ and does not change it to Parkland managed to imitate the adjacent golf course,” he added.
The camera trap placed by the Ministry of Forestry during the 2016-17 survey by the Wildlife Institute of India has confirmed the existence of rich wildlife diversity in the area, including civet cats, several species of mongances and more than a hundred species of birds and reptiles.
The area of the region makes it rather inaccessible to the public, allowing wildlife to develop in habitat.
“This area needs to be protected and learned because it is a naturalized urban forest,” he said further.
This objection came after a private company recently submitted a proposal to the MCG who was looking for permission to establish ‘Oxy forest’ in the area in partnership with MCG.
Meanwhile, MCG said that they had received a letter of forestry department.
“We have received an objection letter and will immediately reply.
His objections do not apply because there will be no non-forest activities in the area and there is no construction.
The track setup proposal and interpretation are for other land projects in Sikanderpur and GMDA have waved the expression of interest for The project.
But the proposal for Chakkarpur is different and there are no plans for construction activities here, “said Subhash Yadav, Nodal Officers (Environment and Sustainability), MCG.
The state government on June 5 sets the target to plant three Crore Anyah this year and to develop two regions in each state district into ‘Oxy Forest’.
The growth of each factory will be monitored through geography.
These forests will occupy 10% of the 8 lakh hectares of land in Haryana.
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