Grasslands to be made for blackbucks in Gurgaon

With the population of blackbucks and chinkaras declining in the state, Gurgaon’s forest department has decided to create a reserved forest zone for all animals.

With the population of blackbucks and chinkaras declining in the state, Gurgaon’s forest department has decided to create a reserved forest zone for all animals. The zone will be created on a 350 acre land in Sarbasipur, around 25 kilometres from Gurgaon.

A baby chinkara in Mangar. The approximate cost of creating grasslands for blackbucks and chinkara deer will be Rs 10 crore. (Picture for representation)

“The population of blackbucks and chinkaras, members of the deer family, has come down to zero in Gurgaon because of the rapid urbanisation of grasslands. The animals that used to flourish in Haryana, a couple of decades ago, could not survive without their natural habitat,” noted a forest official.

“The work to create the large grassland for blackbucks has already started. These animals cannot survive in thick forests and need open land. In Gurgaon, grasslands were occupied by people without any thought about the natural habitat and we lost thousands of blackbucks and chinkaras. In order to reintroduce animals from the deer family, we have designated an area near the Sultanpur National Park,” said MD Sinha, conservator of forests (Gurgaon circle).

The forest department will plant particular species of trees and grass suited for the animals in the area. The cost of the entire project will be around Rs 10 crore, which will be used over a period of six years, the forest official said.

“Other than the species of the trees, distance between each plant is also crucial. Trees will be planted at least three metres away from each other so that a thick forest is not developed once the trees are fully grown and the animals continue to survive,” Sinha said.

Blackbucks will be left in the vast lands after the area is well-fenced to keep away dogs and local poachers. Officials said that if these members of the deer family stay in their natural habitat, the population of blackbucks will increase rapidly. At present, no area in Gurgaon or Faridabad has vast lands for blackbucks to flourish.

“The work on fencing has already started. We want to make sure that the animals are safe in the grasslands. Some artificial water holes will also be created for the animals to protect them from the scorching summer,” he said.