MCG to examine concerns over lease of Aravalli land

The Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG) said on Thursday that it is examining concerns raised over a lease agreement between the urban local body and a public sector oil and gas company that allows the latter to construct a petrol pump on Aravalli land in Chakkarpur village.

MCG officials said they will “clear any apprehensions” in the matter before moving forward with the lease agreement.

City-based NGO IAmGurgaon, which is behind eco-restoration projects such as the Wazirabad bundh and the Aravalli Biodiversity Park, had written to the municipal commissioner earlier this week, seeking cancellation of the lease agreement. It has been alleged by the NGO, as well as city environmentalists, that lease agreement violates multiple environmental statutes relating to the protection of Aravalli forests.

The lease (a copy of which is with Hindustan Times) was signed on March 15, 2019, for setting up a petrol pump on a 150-square metre (sq m) land parcel in Chakkarpur. The lease has been granted to a public sector entity for a period of 30 years, with a payable rent of ₹2.25 lakh per month (subject to a 25% increase every three years). The petrol pump itself is yet to come up on the allotted parcel (recorded as khasra number 611/4 in revenue books).

However, it has been pointed out in IAmGurgaon’s communique, dated December 14, that the area in question is a protected Aravalli forest falling under the land use category of “gair mumkin pahad” or uncultivable hilly lands. These lands are protected under the ministry of environment, forest and climate change’s (MoEFCC) Aravalli Notification of May 7, 1992, which prohibits any non-forest activities in the Aravallis.

Addressing these concerns, municipal commissioner Vinay Pratap Singh said, “We have received representation regarding the apprehensions related to grant of lease of land for fuel retail outlet (petrol pump). Environmental concerns about forest and Aravalli notification have been raised, citing various environmental regulations and orders of courts. We are examining the case to clear all apprehensions before moving forward with the lease. The applicant will have to get all environmental and forest clearances from concerned government department before getting permission from MCG.”

Meanwhile, the Haryana State Pollution Control Board (HSPCB), which is empowered to enforce the Aravalli Notification (1992) in Gurugram, said it will probe the matter. “We will seek a report from the revenue department to ascertain the status of the land. If there is any illegality, we will take appropriate action. The mandate of the Aravalli Notification will be followed in letter and spirit. I cannot say anything further for the moment,” said Kuldeep Singh, HSPCB’s regional officer in Gurugram.

Moreover, prior to the signing of the lease agreement by the MCG in March last year, the corporation had approached the GMDA’s urban environment division in early 2019, seeking to restore the area’s natural Aravalli habitat. “Keeping in mind the environmental sensitivity of the area, the MCG had assigned the area to the GMDA for restoration and the GMDA has signed an MOU with our organisation, IAmGurgaon, to protect and enhance the forest, waterbody and biodiversity in this area,” states IAmGurgaon’s letter.

“The area had already been earmarked for ecorestoration. Any diversion for non-forestry purposes in the area will hinder our attempts at reviving the natural ecosystem. The area is also a low-lying Aravalli forest and helps to reduce the run-off on Golf Course Road, which has recently suffered major flooding,” said Latika Thukral, founder, IAmGurgaon.

This view also found support among officials. A senior IAS officer, who has formerly served in the GMDA’s urban environment division as well as the forest department, said on the condition of anonymity, “This lease agreement, ab initio, does not stand. The land is an Aravalli forest, and must be protected as per various Supreme Court orders. It sets a bad precedent when forests are diverted for a non-essential utility — in this case a petrol pump.”