Wildlife activists frown upon events in biodiversity park

A day after the cultural event, Gurgaon Utsav, organised at the newly-built biodiversity park, environmentalists and wildlife activists criticised it for being “anti-animals and anti-environment”.

A day after the cultural event, Gurgaon Utsav, organised at the newly-built biodiversity park, environmentalists and wildlife activists criticised it for being “anti-animals and anti-environment”.

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NGOs and activists alleged that Sunday’s music event was an infringement into the natural habitat of birds and animals.

“After sunset, playing music inside the park was unethical as it tampered with the peace, the animals deserve, said Vivek Kamboj of NGO Haryali.

The show went on beyond the 10pm deadline, despite the Supreme Court guidelines against the use of loudspeakers.

The event was attended by Sudhir Rajpal, commissioner, Municipal Corporation of Gurgaon, and Praveen Kumar, local administrator, Haryana Urban Development Authority.

Rajpal, however, denied that the event stretched beyond 10pm.

“It took us some time to wind up and we moved out after 10pm but the show was over within the stipulated time,” he said.

Gurgaon conservator of forest, wildlife, Satya Bhan said he would look into the matter if he gets a complaint in this regard.

The bio-diversity park is located in the foothills of Aravallis and has been recently revived.

The evening was organised to inaugurate a new amphitheatre where Sufi singer Madan Gopal and qawwals performed on Sunday.