RTI reply - Green belt can be used for any purpose in public interest
1 Aug, 2013
The reply to an application filed under the Right to Information (RTI) Act has revealed that according to the Haryana Urban Development Authority (HUDA), green belt in Gurgaon can be used for any purpose that serves public interest.
In its answer to the RTI application, HUDA has clearly mentioned that with the approval of the competent authority, the identified green belts can be put to use for any purpose that is in public interest. The reply depicts the future of Gurgaon tree cover as already around 6,500 trees are being cut in the city legally. Also as per the data of the Haryana Forest Development Corporation (HFDC), Gurgaon has lost over 61,000 trees in last ten years.
Apart from legal felling of trees, illegal cutting is reportedly very rampant in the city. The main cause for this is that city’s green belts fall under the purview of Section 4 of the Punjab Land Preservation Act (PLPA), 1900 which imposes only Rs. 500 as penalty for felling a tree illegally.