26K hectares identified for compensatory afforestation

Tribune News Service

Mahendragarh, December 1

The Department of Forest and Wildlife Preservation has identified a total of 26,461 hectares non-forest land of 139 villages in four districts — Mahendragarh, Rewari, Gurugram and Nuh — for compensatory afforestation. It will ensure sustainable development of Great Nicobar Island, where an ambitious project will see the felling of a large number of trees.

Will ensure development

The afforestation will ensure sustainable development of strategically important Great Nicobar Island, where an ambitious project will see the felling of a large number of trees

As per sources, the land has been identified by Chief Conservator of Forest (South Circle), Gurugram, under special Section 4 and 5, Punjab Land Preservation Act (PLPA), 1900, Aravalli plantation/Pahad, following the directives of the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.

“In all, 10,647 hectares in 64 villages of Nuh, 9,052 hectares of 45 villages in Mahendragarh, 3,753 hectares of 18 villages in Rewari and 3,009 hectares of 12 villages in Gurugram district have been identified for compensatory afforestation. The proposed area includes contiguous land patches of forest areas (Aravali plantation, PLPA), along with other land owned by panchayats like gair mumkin pahad, bhood and banjar Kadeem,” they said.

The sources maintained that the administration at Port Blair submitted a proposal under Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980, to the Centre for diversion of 130.75 sq. km area of forest land for sustainable development of strategically important Great Nicobar Island.

“The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change examined the proposal and requested the UT Administration to explore the possibilities to identify land for compensatory afforestation on non-notified forest areas instead of degraded forest lands preferably in forest deficit states like Haryana, Uttar Pradesh,” the sources said, adding that thereafter, the process to identify such land was initiated in the state.

The sources informed that the Haryana Government had also conveyed ‘in principle’ approval for undertaking compensatory afforestation on such identified land as per provisions of the Forest Conservation Act, 1980.

In view of it, Additional Chief Secretary (Forest and Wildlife) has directed Deputy Commissioners (DCs) of all the four districts to hold meetings with District Forest Officers (DFOs) and Block Development Officers (BDOs) concerned at the earliest so that a report in this respect could be furnished to the Centre at the earliest.

“The identified land falls under special Section 4 and 5 of the PLPA/ Aravali Plantation/ Pahad. Therefore, it would be appropriate to utilise this land for afforestation purposes. Accordingly, the BDOs be directed to pass resolutions of villages under their jurisdiction as administrator of panchayats to enable the state government declare these areas as ‘protected forests’ so that the plantation, biodiversity and natural resources are conserved there,” states a communiqué sent to all DCs from the office of the Additional Chief Secretary.

JK Abhir, Deputy Commissioner (DC), Mahendragarh, said local officials of the Panchayat Department had been asked to get identified land verified from the Revenue Department within two days so as to proceed further as per the government’s directives.

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