Aravali foothills may be opened to real estate

Despite repeated tragedies that clearly illustrate the hazards of haphazard urban development at the cost of the environment — the Chennai floods being the most recent example — the authorities never seem to learn. The Gurgaon administration has asked the state government to leave the Aravali foothills and grasslands in the district out of the natural conservation zones, drawing a sharp reaction from the forest department and environmentalists who fear irreparable damage to the ecology.

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In a letter to the Haryana chief secretary, the administration has said classifying foothills and grasslands as NCZs is like "indulging in ecological intellectual fantasy" that is not in tune with urbanisation. It has also said that including them in the Aravali ecosystem would lead to confusion in the interpretation of NCZs. 

An official said the administration wants to define foothills as an area of 1 km from the base of the hills, though a final decision is likely to be taken at a meeting in Chandigarh on December 17. 

Read Full Story: Aravali foothills may be opened to real estate