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. 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.

- Paras Singh

‘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 asa 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.

‘A government official said that forest areas are covered under the Forest Conservation Act, and that the agency will have to file an application with the local tree officer, following which the state will send an application to the Union environment minister.

“Besides their clearance, it will also need approval of the Central Empowered Committee (CEC), a statutory body established by the Supreme Court. Itis a lengthy process,” a PWD official said.