Punjab and Haryana High Court Today (July 17) closed a PIL about tree cutting by DLF in Gurugram. The Court found the land is not part of the protected Aravalli area.
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CHANDIGARH: The Punjab and Haryana High Court closed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) which it had started on its own, after reading a news report that claimed real estate company DLF was cutting down about 2,000 trees in Gurugram’s Aravalli hills for a new real estate project.
A bench made up of Chief Justice Sheel Nagu and Justice Sanjiv Berry accepted the reply given by the Haryana State Government.
The State told the Court that the land where DLF was working does not fall in the protected Aravalli forest zone of Gurugram.
After hearing this, the Court decided to close the case.
The Court clearly stated:
“Since none of the khasra numbers in regard to which respondent no. 3 has been granted permission to fell trees fall within Aravalli hills, this Court does not deem it to appropriate to proceed in the matter, specially when respondent no. 3 was granted permission vide different orders after following the due process of law.”
However, even though the Court dropped the case, it gave a strong instruction to the State government to make sure that DLF follows the rule of planting more trees as compensation.
The Court ordered:
“By planting ten times the trees cut.”
In its final statement, the Court said:
“Consequently, the PIL stands disposed of with the aforesaid directions, observations and liberty.”
Earlier, the Court had sent notices to the Haryana Government, Gurugram Municipal Corporation, and DLF Limited after reading a news article published by The Tribune on June 12.
That report said that trees were being cut on 40 acres of land in DLF Phase 5, Gurugram. Residents and environmental activists had accused the builder of “destroying the Aravallis.”
At that time, Subhash Yadav, Chief Conservator of Forests (South Haryana), spoke to the media and said the land in question belonged to DLF and there was no forest area involved. He stated that his department had no authority over the land.
This claim was later supported by the State Government in court, where they confirmed that the land was not part of the Aravalli or any protected forest area.
CASE TITLE:
Court on its Motion vs State of Haryana.
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