Taking a serious view of felling of over 50 trees in the Mangar forest area in Faridabad, the National Green Tribunal has directed Haryana government to investigate the issue and submit a detailed damage report.
The green panel directed the state government to look into the complaint by an environmentalist who alleged that some private firms were trying to change the land-use from 'gair mumkin pahar' (non-cultivable land) to agricultural land by changing the land record in Mangar area which is hilly and forested.
"The grievance of the applicant was that land records were changed from 'gair mumkin pahar' to agricultural land... Counsel appearing for Haryana submits that this mischief was committed by a particular patwari and after detecting it, directions were issued to rectify the same and corrective steps are being taken.
"It was submitted that there was no change in the jamabandi (land records). Hence what survives is only the prayer regarding restoration of trees that were destroyed when the road was attempted to be constructed... State of Haryana is directed to furnish the detailed damage report showing exact number of trees cut," a bench headed by Justice M S Nambiar said.
The green panel was hearing a plea filed by Col Sarvadaman Singh Oberoi who had said that "more than 50 trees axed as the road cuts through heart of Mangar". He also annexed newspaper reports in this regard.
During the proceedings, Haryana government told the bench that proceedings in the tree cutting incident have already been initiated and outcome was awaited.
It also informed NGT that the private firms which had applied for change of land use have already withdrawn the application which was pending before the court of the Assistant Collector.
The Tribunal had earlier stayed the attempts of three companies to change the land use pattern in parts of Mangar Bani, a grove off the Gurgaon-Faridabad highway.
The petition, filed through advocates Ritwick Dutta and Rahul Choudhary, had sought stay on attempts by the companies -- Kenwood Mercantile, Goodfaith Builders Pvt Ltd and Nandak Infocom -- to change the land use pattern.
According to the petitioner, the firms had filed 90 applications with the Haryana Revenue Department to change the land use of several patches.
