Hry to launch ‘Matri Van’ along Ggm-F’bad rd in a green push

To ensure the project’s sustainability, maintenance and development will be overseen by the forest department through CSR partnerships, with support from citizen-led groups

The Haryana Forest Department will inaugurate its flagship ‘Matri Van’ project on August 2 along the Gurugram-Faridabad Road in a bid to restore the Aravalli ecosystem and offer a green haven in the heart of urban Gurugram. Spread across 800 acres from Khushboo Chowk to Ghata Chowk, the project is being developed under the state’s “Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam” campaign and is poised to become one of the largest biodiversity parks in the National Capital Region (NCR), officials said, adding that most of the land is greenbelt and under forest department.

(Representative image) Forest officials said invasive plant species such as Kabuli Kikar will be removed and replaced with native, long-rotation Aravalli species like Dhauk, Kullu, Khair, Pilkhan, and Salar. (HT Archive)

The inauguration will begin with a visit to the proposed Aravalli Safari Area near Sakatpur-Gairatpur Bass along the Leopard Trail Road, followed by a mass plantation drive at the Matri Van site. Dignitaries, corporate social responsibility (CSR) partners, schoolchildren, resident welfare associations (RWAs), NGOs, and civic agencies are expected to participate. The event will include speeches from senior ministers and conclude with an address by Vinit Kumar Garg, principal chief conservator of forests (HoFF), Haryana, state officials added.

Forest officials said invasive plant species such as Kabuli Kikar will be removed and replaced with native, long-rotation Aravalli species like Dhauk, Kullu, Khair, Pilkhan, and Salar. “We are working to restore this forest patch into a thriving native landscape. This isn’t just an event—it’s a long-term ecological investment,” said Subhash Yadav, conservator of forests (South Haryana).

According to forest officials, Matri Van will be divided into themed zones such as Bodhi Vatika (Peepal, Bargad, Gullar), Pushp Vatika (flowering trees), Sugandh Vatika (fragrant species), and Medicinal Plants Vatika. Additional features include a Bamboosetum, Nakshatra and Rashi Vatikas, an Aravalli Arboretum, Butterfly and Cactus Gardens, walking and cycling tracks, yoga spaces, gazebos, and recreational trails. Water bodies will be created for aquifer recharge and urban flood management, supported by misting systems and treated-water irrigation for year-round greenery, officials added.

Residents welcomed the move as a long-overdue intervention. “The stretch between Ghata and Khushboo Chowk has long been neglected. This greening drive will not only beautify the area but also improve air quality and offer recreational space for families,” said Aruna Choudhary, a daily commuter to Faridabad. Others expressed hope that the initiative would offer Gurugram a much-needed nature space amidst its fast-paced urban expansion.

Blocks of the green corridor will be assigned to NGOs, RWAs, and schools for long-term upkeep. “This is a community forest in the truest sense—built by the people, for the people, and sustained with collective ownership,” Yadav added.