Haryana Govt Cleared Plan But Didn’t Upload It For 15 Days For Suggestions New Delhi: A large portion of the natural and sacred Mangarbani forest in Aravali will now pave way for a mega tourism complex spread over 500 hectares. After a long wait, the Haryana government has notified the Mangar Development Plan 2031 but did not upload the document on its official website for a fortnight to invite people’s suggestions and objections. This has happened despite the government claiming that it is pushing for e-governance in Haryana and transparency and people’s feedback are its top priority for better public participation in governance. The gazette notification on May 17 says the town and country planning department will consider objections and suggestions to the plan only in case these reach its headquarters by June 17. The state’s plan to divert large portion of the sacred Mangar forest — protected by locals of Mangar and adjoining villages in Faridabad — for any non-forest use has come under criticism by environment activists. “If the government keeps the notification in wraps, how can people file objections and suggestions? The plan has a huge impact on the ecology of the entire region and even the national capital. Losing huge natural ecologically sensitive area in Mangar, which also works as a natural water harvesting zone, would go against the plan of saving Aravalis,” said Chetan Agarwal, an environment analyst. Environmentalists are shocked by the department’s decision to reduce the forest cover notified under the Punjab Land Preservation Act and the Aravali Plantation project. While it was estimated to be 1,822 hectares under the draft development plan, in the latest notification, it has been reduced to only 1,274.33 hectares. This happened despite the planning department recommending an increase in the forest area to 3,800 hectares. “Supreme Court judgments clearly mention that all plantation area in Aravalis be treated as forest. The state government has been eyeing on this oldest and dense green cover in Aravalis for real estate development,” said former conservator of forest R P Balwan, who had taken real estate sharks and mining mafia head on for damaging Aravalis. Earlier this year, the statelevel committee (SLC) had cleared the proposal of the mega tourism complex and setting up of a government or private university over 40 hectares. The latest notification only adds the government can allow the tourism complex project after it receives all clearances and the plans are in compliance with the SC orders. Times View This is a development for serious concern. The Aravalis are a shield that prevents the desert from spreading further north. Rampant mining over the years has done tremendous damage to the area – the forest cover is down as is the water level. TOI has carried reports and pictures of a landscape ravaged by indiscriminate mining. Now, when the courts have put a stop to that, it would be a tragedy if a tourism complex were to become a new threat to the ecosystem. There is more than just the 500 hectares of forest cover at stake here and we hope the authorities recognise that and act responsibly.