India, Aug. 31 -- Environmental activists have flagged large-scale felling of trees and clearing of vegetation in Sarai Khwaja village in Faridabad's Aravallis, an area declared a "deemed forest" by the National Green Tribunal (NGT) in March 2019.

In a complaint to the divisional forest officer (DFO), Faridabad Forest Division, on Saturday, Lt Col Sarvadaman Singh Oberoi (retd), the original petitioner before the NGT, alleged that "a concerted effort is underway to clear the area of all trees and regeneration in an apparent effort to frustrate the NGT's orders and violate the status quo situation." He added, "This cutting of trees of all sizes is amply visible in the attached photos with the time, date and GPS location (Lat. Long.) stamp...