Destroying Aravallis will destroy the fragile ecosystem of Haryana

Several years ago, on our way to Jaipur, when I showed my then four-year-old son a heavily mined and hollowed- out mountain, he asked me who had “cut” the mountain.

Several years ago, on our way to Jaipur, when I showed my then four-year-old son a heavily mined and hollowed- out mountain, he asked me who had “cut” the mountain. For the sake of simplicity, I replied, “Man cut it.” To this, he promptly declared, “Man is bad.” If a four-year-old child can understand that something is wrong about the disappearing mountains, why are we, adults, are turning a blind eye to the denudation happening around us?

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Indeed. Why does the “environment” lose its case, so tamely, in this country? It has now been a year since, on March 1, 2019, the Supreme Court had given a stay order on amending the 120-year-old Punjab Land Preservation Act, 1900. And rightly so. The amendments would have opened 60,000 acres of Aravalli land and 10,000 acres of Shiwalik hills near Chandigarh (notified as “deemed forests” under sections 4 and 5 of the Act) to mining and real estate development activities. This would have affected 33% of the protected forest area in Haryana. However, despite the order of the apex court, the state government moved the file for governor’s assent and the assent promptly came on June 11, 2019. The state government has however not yet notified the Act but it has not rolled it back either. Hopefully, they are having second thoughts.

The amendments would at one stroke retroactively legitimise the construction of all the farm houses, tourist resorts, banquet halls and real estate projects that have come up since 1996. It will also legitimise the lucrative land sales that have stealthily happened in the area. Further, it will also open vast tracts of Aravalli land further for development. The Aravalli lands under PLPA could not have been earlier classified under “forests” as these were panchayati lands. But the court has through its judgments in 2002, 2004, 2008, 2009 and 2018 came to its rescue and consistently pushed back mining or construction activities on these lands.

The benefits of having Aravallis in our vicinity cannot be overstated. It provides a crucial buffer for the region’s water and air, both of which have taken an immense beating in the last three decades. Groundwater has reached an abysmally low level, while the air quality of the National Capital Region(NCR) is one of the worst in the world. Besides, it’s a critical wildlife habitat and a biodiversity zone, with over 20 wild life animal species, 200 species of birds and 400 species of native trees. It protects us from desertification. Lastly, it has immense healing, recreational and educational benefits. Forests take away our mental and physical stress and educate us about nature.

What’s more, as per the Forest Survey of India’s 2019 report, Haryana has a forest cover of only 3.62%, which is the lowest in the country. The national average forest cover stands at 21.67%, while the forest cover in north-eastern states stands above 70%.

The forest policy of Haryana targets 20% of forest and tree cover. How on earth will this figure be achieved if Aravallis are tampered with? After all, the highest concentration of forests in Haryana are in Aravallis (in the south) and Shivaliks (in the north). Besides, there is another 50,000 acres in Aravalli that has no protection from PLPA. It includes the Mangar Bani sacred forest and Gurgaon’s very own Aravalli Biodiversity Park. These too need to be notified as deemed forest to increase the forest cover.

To those who intend to exploit the Aravallis, these mountain ranges of the world are nothing but vast stretches of undeveloped land. To us others, it is a storehouse of abundant nature’s wealth working its magic to restore the precious eco-balance. It signifies “right to life” as enshrined in the constitution of our country.

Thankfully, a group of committed environmentalists, social activists, wildlife experts, students and villagers are trying their best to save the Aravallis through a sustained citizen campaign. Their ask is a complete roll back on PLPA amendments and preservation of Aravallis lands for all times to come. They need more support and voice. As citizens who feel concerned, you could do your bit by joining them as volunteers for their events and eco-walks to increase awareness about Aravallis. Besides, you could support them on social media as well.

Let us combine our might to save the Aravallis. Let us together understand that by making way for a handful of builders, miners and investors, we will be spoiling a huge timeless treasure for our future generations. Let us for once show to the world that man is good!

@ShubhraGF