india

Updated: Mar 09, 2019 08:33 IST

The Supreme Court on Friday warned the Haryana government against disturbing the Aravalli hills or forest area, and said the state administration would be in trouble if constructions were allowed there.

“We are concerned with Aravalli. If you are doing anything with Aravalli or Kant Enclave (where the top court had ordered demolition of buildings due to illegal constructions in forest area) you will be in trouble. If you are doing anything with the forest, you will be in trouble. We are telling you,” a bench led by Justice Arun Mishra told solicitor-general Tushar Mehta who appeared for Haryana. Mehta assured the court that he would satisfy the bench that amendments in the Punjab Land Preservation Act (PLPA), 1900, were not done to “help somebody”.

The SC had on March 1 come down heavily on the Haryana government for passing amendments to the law, allowing construction activities in the Aravalli region. It refrained the state from acting on the amended law without the court’s permission. The court said the changes were approved to circumvent its earlier order prohibiting any mining or construction activities in the ecologically fragile zone.

During the brief hearing on Friday, Mehta told the bench that the Assembly has passed the bill but it has not become an Act yet.