Liquor shops, not trees, dot Gurgaon green belts
HINDUSTAN TIMES, Eshani Mathur, Gurgaon
Keeping in view the recent constructions on green belts in Gurgaon, it seems the administration needs lessons on environmental science, Liquor shops, petrol pumps and other structures have come up on the designated green belts.
“The only two green belts in the area have been converted into a CNG pump and an Indian Oil pump, respectively,” said a resident of Sector-23.
The bio-diversity park on the other hand is progressing at a fast pace near DLF Phase III but is lacking a basic necessity- a uniform boundary wall. A liquor shop, allotted by the excise and taxation department of Haryana, is located on the periphery of this park. There are two such shops, which not only sell liquor but also have seating arrangements for its customers.
Forest department official, S.C.Yadav, said the excise and taxation department had allotted this liquor shop for the period of April 1, 2010-March 31, 2011 and the shop will remain there for that period. The authority concerned - Municipal Corporation of Gurgaon (MCG) – was not available for comment.
“The government has built petrol pumps and liquor shops instead of giving the area to residents to be used as buffer from the pollution,” said Vivek Kamboj, an environmentalist.
Even a letter written by Vivek Kamboj to the excise commissioner and the petroleum department has not yielded result. “Gurgaon, unlike Delhi, doesn’t have any other buffer apart from the Aravalli hills which need to be protected by Gurgaon residents,” added Vivek Kamboj.
The Haryana Urban Development Authority (HUDA) who is responsible for the green belt is not aware of any such development. “I am unaware of such activity, I will look into it and will take action if it is illegal,” said Nitin K.Yadav, HUDA administrator.
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