Gurgaon: Central Empowered Committee (CEC), constituted by Supreme Court, has taken up allegations of large-scale tree felling and alteration of natural landforms in an ecologically sensitive Aravali area near sectors 54 and 55, where the Haryana govt is developing the Maitri Van project.Haryana forest department, however, has defended the project’s legal basis in a clarification submitted before the CEC, saying afforestation and silvicultural operations at the site do not require approval under the forest diversion law.The plea was filed by environmentalist Vaishali Rana in an ongoing forest case before CEC. It alleges that “felling of more than 2,000 fully grown trees” was carried out in the Suncity area as part of development activities “without adequate regard to environmental safeguards and regulatory conditions.”The application also flags “serious irregularities in compensatory plantation work” and questions the manner in which tree-felling permissions were sought and executed.Rana sought constitution of an independent joint committee comprising officials of the Forest Survey of India, the ministry of environment, forest and climate change and other expert agencies to scientifically assess the alleged damage.The application also sought public disclosure of all permissions, inspection reports and file notings related to tree felling and land alteration, environmental compensation under the polluter-pays principle, a time-bound ecological restoration plan, status quo on existing vegetation, and disciplinary action against officials found responsible for violations. “Ecological restoration cannot come at the cost of destroying an existing ecosystem,” Rana said.The principal chief conservator of forests told CEC that the Maitri Van proposal — on land notified under Section 4 of the Punjab Land Preservation Act — was approved by the PCCF (HoFF) on Aug 12, 2025, with draft MoUs with participating agencies cleared two days later. The department maintained that the said operations “do not attract provisions of Section 2 of the Van (Sanrakshan Evam Samvardhan) Adhiniyam, 1980,” as such activities constitute forest conservation and management, not “non-forest purpose.”The project was launched by Union ministers Bhupender Yadav and Manohar Lal Khattar during Van Mahotsav 2025, with the stated goal of restoring local ecology by removing invasive species from the Aravali hill area.During the hearing, counsel for the project proponent sought time to respond to the allegations. CEC has granted four weeks for replies and written submissions, and directed that the MCG commissioner, or a nominee, be called at the next hearing.
