India, Dec. 17 -- The Forest Advisory Committee (FAC) of the union environment ministry has approved, in principle, the ex-post facto forest clearance for diversion of 67.68 hectares of Aravalli forest areas notified and protected under section 4 of Punjab Land Preservation Act (PLPA) in Haryana's Faridabad, according to people familiar with the matter.

These forests have been encroached over the years, with developments in it including the Gymkhana club in Faridabad, Haryana, developed by the Haryana Urban Development Authority (renamed Haryana Shahari Vikas Pradhikaran or HSVP in 2017), a regional labour institute, fire and police stations.

The Supreme Court in July 2022 ordered that all land covered by the special orders issued under...