Forest dept tells Huda to stop work on Chakkarpur bundh

The Chakkarpur bundh restoration project is likely to get delayed as the forest department has directed the Haryana Urban Development Authority (Huda) to halt the work after finding discrepancies in the execution of the project.

The 5.2-km-long bundh, starting in Chakkarpur village and ending in Sector 56, is to be converted into a city forest after the bundh was chosen for an eco-restoration project in January.

Part of the bundh from Chakkarpur village to Galleria market was given to the Huda and the rest will be taken care of by NGO, I am Gurgaon. The project was to be completed in four months.

Conservator of forests, south circle, Gurgaon, MD Sinha conducted an inspection at the bundh on May 28 and found several discrepancies in the work of the Huda.

The project has climate and environment sensitive design. It has a rainwater harvesting system with flow-through permeable patches for groundwater recharge. Local trees will be planted and there will be shaded portions for a cooler microclimate.

However, the stretch from Chakkarpur village to Galleria market, given to the Huda, was not designed as per the norms. “Apart from laying tiles, no other work has been done. The bundh wears a deserted look and the work done till date negates the very ethos behind the eco-restoration project. In fact, if left in this shape, it will soon revert to a dumping ground,” Sinha said.

Official records show that there are nearly 118 bundhs in Gurgaon, Faridabad and Nuh districts. Most of these structures are in prime locations and are targets of the land mafia.

Citizen groups have been demanding that these be protected as green areas.

“Today, in the growing Gurgaon-Faridabad urban conglomerate, these traditional waterbodies are disappearing from the urban landscape. These were important flood protection measures and also resulted in considerable groundwater recharge in the area,” Sinha said.

The Huda confirmed that it has stopped work on the bundh. “We are aware of the development. We have stopped work on the stretch as directed by the forest department,” a senior official Huda official said.