Arson suspected in Aravali blaze

The affected area is part of the Aravali foothills covered with tall grass and old trees, and marked in land revenue records as ‘gair mumkin pahar’ and ‘bhood’, earmarked for a potential NCZ. The land is owned by a developer.Although authorities were unable to pinpoint the cause of the fire, sources said it could have been man-made. “The fire could have been lit by someone to clear the greenery, as getting permission to cut trees here is difficult,” said a source, adding the “arsonist” could have been driven by the hope this would lead to faster clearance for the NCZ project.The department of town and country planning is currently processing the NCZ proposal.During a visit to Gurgaon last week, DTCP additional chief secretary P Raghvendra Rao had said, “The district-level committee has submitted its report.