Forest department maps Aravali damage after TOI report

Faridabad: The forest department has filed a damage report for violations detected on protected Aravali foothills in Faridabad's Kot village. Around half-a-dozen trees had been felled in the area, where land was levelled.A forest department official said, "We took cognizance of the activity and prepared a damage report for tree felling on about two acres. The matter is under examination and further action will be initiated as per law."
On the sandy Aravali foothill terrain, soil was dumped on natural slopes and parts of a seasonal water channel were buried. The disturbed area forms part of a larger 25-acre land parcel, though officials and locals said active levelling was "currently limited to about two acres".Environmentalists warned that sandy Aravali foothills are highly erosion-prone and flattening them can destabilise slopes, disrupt groundwater recharge and worsen flood risks.The land in question falls under shamlat deh — or village common land — where any occupation, alteration or private use is prohibited. It is also located in an Aravali tract notified under Section 4 of the Punjab Land Preservation Act (PLPA), which bars tree felling, breaking of land and earthmoving without prior approval to prevent soil erosion and ecological degradation.A site visit by TOI recently found a tractor moving across the incline, spreading soil to flatten the foothill. Portions of the Machindri nallah, a natural seasonal water channel, were seen filled with sand, while trees were cut in the levelled area.The site is also under judicial scrutiny. In Dec 2025, Punjab and Haryana high court issued notice to the Haryana govt on a petition challenging a land consolidation notification in Kot, with petitioners arguing that consolidation could fragment shamlat land and affect Aravali terrain classified as gair mumkin pahar. The next hearing is scheduled for April 20.