Faridabad residents protest to save mini-forest

According to the locals, the mini-forest was planted by the local youth and school students on a patch of land which was initially a garbage dumping area

Gurugram:

(Representative photo) In the last five years, the mini-forest has developed into a self-sustaining ecosystem with more than 140 species of rare & endangered plants growing in it. (Representational photo)

About 100 protesters from across Delhi-NCR gathered at Lal Bahadur Shastri Chowk in Sector 15 of Faridabad to protest against the proposed construction of a cycle track that is likely to compromise a major portion of a mini-forest planted by local residents.

According to the locals, the mini-forest was planted by the local youth and school students on a patch of land which was initially a garbage dumping area.

In 2017, Samarrth Khanna,(21), along with his peers at Delhi Public School (DPS), Faridabad, took the initiative to plant trees on the dumping ground. “We started to clean the land and simultaneously planted trees so that it could be developed into a tiny forest. More than 6.6 tonnes of waste was removed. We have managed to develop this green forest but it is now under risk because of a proposal to develop a cycle track,” said Khanna.

In the last five years, the mini-forest has developed into a self-sustaining ecosystem with more than 140 species of rare & endangered plants growing in it. More than 48 species of birds including many migratory birds can be spotted at the site as well, said the volunteers, who have been working at the site for the last five years. Khanna said that this wetland also helped in harvesting of rainwater during the monsoon and prevented waterlogging in Sector 15.

Neelam Ahluwalia and Anu PD from Aravalli Bachao Citizens movement also participated in the protest on Sunday and said that people should come out and speak against the proposed project and felling of trees.

Chetan Agarwal, a Gururgram-based environmentalist said that the proposed cycle track will not only destroy the mini-forest but will most likely lead to the felling of 500 trees along the Lal Bahadur Shastri Marg. “Building a cycle track at the cost of fully grown trees is an exercise in futility. Since section 4 of the Punjab Land Preservation Act is not applicable in this area, the trees can be felled with ease and with little scrutiny,” he said.

Sudhir Rajpal, chief executive officer of Faridabad Metropolitan Development Authority (FMDA), which is developing the cycle track, said that this matter will be examined and concerns raised by residents will be looked into. “I will get this matter examined,” he said.

Subash Yadav, additional CEO, Gurugram Metropolitan Development Authority, who also heads the urban environment division of FMDA said, “The issues raised by the local residents will be looked into with detail. We will work with the stakeholders and if possible tweak the design of the cycle track to ensure there is minimal felling of trees. We will also try to protect the mini-forest,” he said.

Yadav, however, reiterated that facility corridors alongside roads are not designated green spaces and these will be used for laying footpaths, utility services such as gas pipelines and water pipelines. “Even if there are trees and green cover, they will have to be removed as the city residents need amenities and infrastructure,” he said.