GURUGRAM: Green activists on Thursday met Union surroundings minister Dr Harsh Vardhan, hard deployment of a distinct process power within the Aravalis after a surge in cases of poaching and tree felling.
"The illegal activities going on inside the forest area, right under the nose of the Haryana forest department, reiterate the necessity of a special task force in the Aravalis. Another reason for highlighting this is the recently released report by the Union ministry of environment, forest and climate change, which states that between 2014 and 2017, Haryana government topped the chart among all states for diverting their forest land to non-forest activities, especially when the state has the second lowest forest cover in the country," stated the letter written by way of the activists to the Union minister.
"We are glad the minister immediately asked the director general of forest to look into the matter and also asked us to meet him. The ministry has instructed the Haryana forest department to address the complaint at the earliest," said Vaishali Chandra Rana, an environmental activist. She had also written to Haryana leader minister Manohar Lal Khattar on the subject, however said she did not get any reaction.
On December nine, an animal activist discovered a peacock stuck in a trap within the Raisina area of the Aravalis. After he raised an alarm, activists uncovered extra traps within the area.
Shivani Sharma of Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI), who has been patrolling the Aravalis together with her workforce, said, "In the past 20 days, a number of peacocks were found with their legs clasped in metal traps. These traps are installed not just for peacocks, but also for jackals and other wild animals. Even though the matter was immediately brought to the notice of police and forest department, the concerned police station refused to lodge an FIR regarding poaching of the national bird. "
The activists also raised a priority over felling of trees. "While patrolling in the Aravalis, we have come across many sites where trees have been chopped. The modus operandi is to first clear certain patches, and then construct a structure on the cleared land," said Rana.
Conservator of wooded area (Gurgaon circle) D Hembram instructed TOI, "We've got to know that a few residents have met the minister. We're going to take appropriate and strict action against poachers to prevent such illegal activities."
Sources said the dept has been suffering from scarcity of guards, on account of which, many senior officers themselves attend patrolling duties within the Aravalis.
It needs to be discussed here that a proposal of the district wooded area division to have a distinct process power for the Aravalis used to be no longer licensed by way of the state two years ago.
"The illegal activities going on inside the forest area, right under the nose of the Haryana forest department, reiterate the necessity of a special task force in the Aravalis. Another reason for highlighting this is the recently released report by the Union ministry of environment, forest and climate change, which states that between 2014 and 2017, Haryana government topped the chart among all states for diverting their forest land to non-forest activities, especially when the state has the second lowest forest cover in the country," stated the letter written by way of the activists to the Union minister.
"We are glad the minister immediately asked the director general of forest to look into the matter and also asked us to meet him. The ministry has instructed the Haryana forest department to address the complaint at the earliest," said Vaishali Chandra Rana, an environmental activist. She had also written to Haryana leader minister Manohar Lal Khattar on the subject, however said she did not get any reaction.
On December nine, an animal activist discovered a peacock stuck in a trap within the Raisina area of the Aravalis. After he raised an alarm, activists uncovered extra traps within the area.
Shivani Sharma of Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI), who has been patrolling the Aravalis together with her workforce, said, "In the past 20 days, a number of peacocks were found with their legs clasped in metal traps. These traps are installed not just for peacocks, but also for jackals and other wild animals. Even though the matter was immediately brought to the notice of police and forest department, the concerned police station refused to lodge an FIR regarding poaching of the national bird. "
The activists also raised a priority over felling of trees. "While patrolling in the Aravalis, we have come across many sites where trees have been chopped. The modus operandi is to first clear certain patches, and then construct a structure on the cleared land," said Rana.
Conservator of wooded area (Gurgaon circle) D Hembram instructed TOI, "We've got to know that a few residents have met the minister. We're going to take appropriate and strict action against poachers to prevent such illegal activities."
Sources said the dept has been suffering from scarcity of guards, on account of which, many senior officers themselves attend patrolling duties within the Aravalis.
It needs to be discussed here that a proposal of the district wooded area division to have a distinct process power for the Aravalis used to be no longer licensed by way of the state two years ago.
Aravali task force demand to Centre
![Aravali task force demand to Centre]()
Reviewed by Kailash
on
December 29, 2017
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