Delhi govt's Munak corridor plan may face green hurdle

The Delhi government may face a green hurdle in its bid to develop a 20-kilometre elevated corridor along the Munak Canal from Bawana to Inderlok, as part of the canal revamp project, officials aware of the development said.

- Paras Singh

Officials of the Public Works Department (PWD) said that Haryana's irrigation and flood control department, which oversees the entire length of the canal in Delhi and is also the landowning agency, has apprised that the land for the proposed corridor is a “protected forest” and necessitates additional clearances and approvals for infrastructure work.

According to a PWD report on the project dated July 10, there are more than 2,000 trees along the canal.

“The Irrigation and Flood Control Department of Haryana has informed that the land under the proposals has been declared as a protected forest through a notification issue dated March 6, 1972. There are approximately 2000+ trees,” the report reads.

PWD officials said that the issue of trees was flagged in a review meeting attended by Delhi chief minister Rekha Gupta earlier this month.

Forest department did not respond to queries from HT.