Morni mega herbal forest plan shrinks to 3.5% of Vij's concept

CHANDIGARH: The Haryana government has decided to scale down area of the 'world's first herbal forest' it planned to developed, in association with Patanjali Yogpeeth of yoga guru Ramdev, in Morni hills of Panchkula district to just 1,750 acres of forest area from original plan of 52,000 acres.It was on April 26, 2015, that health minister Anil Vij had announced the herbal forest project in Morni hills on 52,000 acres, in which various 'chetna kendras' were to be set up to educate people about important plants. However, the forest officials now say that the total area of Morni hills is 50,000 acres, and only 3.36% (around 1,750 acres) is available for the project. "There are two wildlife sanctuaries, wildlife habitation and other projects in the hills and the area cannot be handed for a new plan," said an officer."We have made the fresh plan after due ground work. 1,750 acres area is also very big for the project," he said. However, even to be able to use this land, the Haryana government will to seek approval from the Union government.Vij, who has been pursuing the project for two years, had recently written a etter to chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar alleging delay on the part of the forest officials in execution of the project.A senior forest officer told TOI on Saturday that the department on August 1, 2016, had sent an MOU to the Patanjali Yogpeeth but was yet to get any response from the Ramdev's organization.The department has even sent a report to the government in this connection to inform that the officials remained in constant touch with the Patanjali Yogpeeth for follow up of the project. The department has also get another formal letter to Patanjali on August 23. The department also said that 1.15 lakh plants of medicinal species, like harar, bahera, amla, amaltash, belpattar, neem and arjun were planted in the forest areas of Morni, Bhundi, Barwa, Thandog and Thapli villages in July 2015.