Page 42 - 15MAR2019E

Law revamp likely to hurt

environment in Haryana

midst vociferous protests Will Punjab Land Preservation Act amendment damage ecology
and a walkout by the Con-
gress members The Punjab and eat into Aravalis green cover? asks rajendra khatry
Land Preservation (Harya-
A na Amendment) Bill, 2019 government wanted to allow a por- Court had held that Kant Enclave was a
was passed with retrospective effect tion of the Arvalis open for real estate forest land or was required to be treated
from November 1966 in the Haryana development and this was the crux of as a forest or forest land. Therefore no
Assembly on February 27, the conclud- all the objections. The opposition was construction activity could have been
ing day of the Budget session. immediately up in arms and raised a permitted on it with effect from August
CLP leader Kiran Chaudhary, MLAs hue and cry. Leader of Opposition (LoP) 18, 1992. Since then all construction
Karan Dalal, Bhupinder Singh Hooda, Abhay Singh Chautala as well as Con- activities in Kant Enclave since have
Raghubir Singh Kadian and Anand gress MLAs from Palwal and Tigaon been illegal and not allowed under law.
Singh Dangi created a ruckus while Karan Singh Dalal and Lalit Nagar, re- In the light of this, the environmen-
protesting against the amendment in spectively lambasted the Manohar Lal talists have been quick to target the
the bill, saying it will destroy the fragile state government for its dilution of the
Aravali environment. The amendments green law. It is a fact that the people
They alleged that it was a big scam Gurugram and Faridabad are already
and demanded setting up of an all party in the Punjab Land facing several health issues as the pol-
committee to examine the bill thor- Preservation Act, lution levels in these cities are among
oughly. The government, howver, did the highest in the country. People can-
not accept this and the bill was passed Haryana CM Manohar not even breathe properly in many
even as the Congress members walked parts of these cities. It is a well-known
out in protest. Lal Khattar says, fact that the Aravali forest range with
Earlier, the Haryana Government’s were the need of the its trees and vegetation serve as the
move to amend the Punjab Land Pres- green lungs for the people. But even
ervation Act (PLPA), 1900, to render it hour as it was a very if these were allowed to be converted
inapplicable in several areas covered old Act and much has into concrete jungles, people will suffer
by the Aravali range in Gurugram came from diseases.
under fire by the opposition in the changed over the Both leader of opposition Om
Budget session of Haryana Vidhan Sab- period of time Prakash Chautala and Congress mem-
ha even before the bill was introduced ber Karan Singh Dalal argued against
on the floor of the House. the proposed changes in the PLPA Act
Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar Khattar led BJP government. The leg- even before it was introduced in the
tried to allay the fear of the people that islatures alleged that the real purpose Haryana Assembly. The matter was
the amendment to the PLPA will not do of the Amendment was to `benefit the raised by the members during the dis-
any harm to the environment. He said realtors’. cussion on the Governor’s Address in
on the contrary it will save and protect The members feard that the govern- the Haryana Vidhan Sabha.
the Aravalis from the present disaster. ment move could prove to have a dev- Karan Singh Dalal said he is against
Khattar said that amendments in the astatingly effect on the environment leaving larger areas of the Aravallis
Punjab Land Preservation Act (PLPA) and prove disastrous for the people’s open for developers for construction
were the need of the hour as it was a health what with the pollution level in activities. Another Congress MLA Lalit
very old Act and much has changed Gurugram already so high. Nagar also raised the issue forcefully
over the period of time. The govern- The change in the PLPA act will also and alleged that due to high levels of
ment, he said, was concerned over grant legitimacy to Kant Enclave in pollution in Gurugram and Faridabad,
the preservation and promotion of Faridabad, built on PLPA notified land. many babies were being born with
environment. It was ordered to be demolished by the ailments and disabilities. This was a
The controversy began because the Supreme Court earlier. The Supreme serious matter, he said and called for

Tehelka / 15 march 2019 42 www.Tehelka.com