The Haryana Government’s recent attempt to define “forests” has sparked debate from environmentalists, legal experts and citizens, who say the move appears easing land use for real estate projects rather than strengthening conservation.
People said that rather than focusing forest land, the state should prioritise defining and addressing “drainage,” a critical issue directly impacting urban planning, waterlogging and ecological balance in Gurugram”.
Experts say that clear regulations on drainage would hold greater importance for sustainable development, especially as Gurugram and adjoining areas continue to grapple with frequent flooding and poor water management.
According to the notification, copy accessed The Pioneer, issued the State’s Forest, Environment and Wildlife Department, indicted that land parcels of at least five hectares — will be considered ‘forest’ if they have a minimum canopy density of 0.4, or 40 per cent. In cases where land adjoins an already notified forest, the minimum threshold has been set at two hectares.
The revised criteria exclude smaller green patches, Aravalli hillocks with sparse vegetation, scrublands, grasslands and community common lands from being classified as forests.
“This is a shocking definition issued by the state government. Policymakers have failed to assess the ground realities of conservation in Haryana. The state has only three per cent forest cover, and the Aravalis are largely scrub forests with a canopy density of just 10 per cent to 20 per cent. This notification is not aimed at forest conservation but at serving commercial interests, ultimately benefiting the builder lobby, said MD Sinha, retired Conservator of Forests, Haryana (South),” told The Pioneer.
Environmental activists and residents argue that the Government should instead prioritise defining and regulating “drainage” systems, which hold greater importance for sustainable urban planning and flood management. With rapid urbanisation, unchecked construction, and recurring incidents of waterlogging across city like Gurugram, experts warn that poor drainage planning poses an immediate threat to both ecology and human settlement.
“The way ‘forest’ has been defined looks more like a technicality to serve land developers,” Ashutosh Raghav a city-based Advocate said. “But what people urgently need is a clear and enforceable framework for drainage, without which every monsoon season will keep turning our cities into flood zones.”
Raghav highlight that “Unchecked construction, shrinking water channels, and inadequate stormwater management have worsened flooding during monsoon seasons in Gurugram and surrounding areas. Without a clear drainage policy, they warn, the State risks deepening both environmental and infrastructural crises.” Neelam Ahluwalia, Founder Member, People for Aravallis stated, that “The State of Haryana has the lowest forest cover in India, a mere 3.6 per cent. Legally protected forest cover is much lower. All-India average is of 21 per cent and desired country target is 33 per cent. Haryana is also a highly climate sensitive State. 95 per cent of Haryana’s 22 districts have a ‘high and medium climate risk score’. Events like droughts, unseasonal rains, hailstorms, extreme heat wave conditions etc are on the rise due to climate change”.
“Haryana Government’s recent definition of ‘forests’ has no ecological or scientific basis. In a dry state like Haryana, it is not possible to have a 40 per cent canopy density similar to Goa or other Indian states where the rainfall levels, climatic conditions and kind of forests are very different from those found in Haryana,” she said.
“Instead of taking steps to legally protect ‘50 per cent of the Aravallis in Haryana’ that have had no legal protection, it is extremely disappointing to see the State Government come up with a definition that would exclude large portions of the ‘not notified’ Aravalli forests from the legal ambit leaving them open for real estate development and other kinds of commercial exploitation,” she added.
As per the Forest Survey of India Report 2019, the forest cover in Haryana is 1602.44 sq km of which 28.00 sq. km is ‘very dense’ forest, 450.90 sq. km is ‘moderately dense’ forest whereas 1123.54 sq. km is ‘open’ forest. This new definition of ‘forests’ by the Haryana Government will also exclude Haryana’s Open Natural Ecosystems: rocky outcrop habitats, pasturelands and marshes from any legal protection leaving them open to be converted for industrial or commercial use,” she asserted.
Lawyer and environmental activist Bharat Nain said, This notification — demanding at least 40 per cent canopy cover and a minimum 2-5 hectare spread to qualify as ‘forest’ — is a glaring betrayal of the Aravalli’s fragile ecosystems; by excluding scrub and open forest areas long recognised by the Supreme Court’s ‘ dictionary meaning’ standard, Haryana is effectively opening the door for unchecked mining and urban sprawl.
“As a Delhi-NCR resident, I am deeply concerned that Haryana’s new forest definition — demanding 40 per cent canopy cover and 2-5 hectare spread — virtually wipes out protection for scrub forests and Aravalli hills.
These very ecosystems shield us from dust storms, recharge our groundwater and act as green lungs for NCR. Diluting their legal protection is nothing short of inviting an environmental and public health disaster. By redefining forests with arbitrary canopy and area limits, Haryana risks excluding large parts of the Aravallis — endangering Delhi-NCR’s green lungs, water recharge zones, and pollution shield,” he added.