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Proposed Aravalli jungle safari in Haryana challenged in SC
“The said construction activities within the Aravalli Hills shall not only harm the ecology, biological diversity, flora and environment but shall also completely destroy the wildlife and its habitat in Aravalli Hills,”
A proposed safari in the ecologically sensitive Aravalli jungles in Haryana has come under the scanner of the judiciary after environmental activists moved an application before the Supreme Court to shift it , citing adverse impact on the wildlife, ecology and biodiversity in the region.
The application moved by three Haryana-based environmental activists, Vaishali Rana, Vivek Kambhoj and Roma Jaswal, was brought by advocate Gaurav Kumar Bansal before a Supreme Court bench, which exclusively deals with cases related to forests and environment.
The bench of justices BR Gavai, JB Pardiwala and Sanjay Kumar took note of the matter and asked a copy of the application to be given to advocate K Parameshwar who is assisting the Court in forest matters as amicus curiae (friend of court). The Court did not specify a date for hearing the application.
The jungle safari is proposed across an area of 10,000 acres covering 11 villages in Haryana’s Gurugram district – Sakatpur, Gairatpur Bas, Nauragpur, Bar Gujjar,Tikri, Ghamroj, Aklimpur, Bhondsi, Alipur, Hariyaheda, Shikohpur and seven villages in the district of Nuh – Kota Khadewla, Gangani, Mohammadpur Ahir, Kharak, Jalalpur, Chehlka, and Bhango.
Also Read: Wildlife department to develop grasslands in Aravallis forests in south Haryana
The applicants told the Court that at the time of filing the application in May, the managing director of the state government’s tourism corporation had issued an Expression of Interest (EoI) to invite offers from internationally reputed firms to set up the Aravalli Safari Park.
As per the document produced in the top court, the safari project will include animal habitats including animal cages where animals bred in zoos will be introduced.
Guest houses, eco villages and treks, theme parks, a conference hall, botanical gardens, elephant rides, a recreation club, food zones, a zip flyer, cable cars, a canopy safari, and a tunnel walk are proposed in the EoI document.
Looking at the scale of construction, the project will adversely impact the ecology of the region, the application said.
“The said construction activities within the Aravalli Hills shall not only harm the ecology, biological diversity, flora and environment but shall also completely destroy the wildlife and its habitat in Aravalli Hills,” it said.
As zoo-bred captive animals are sought to be introduced, the plea warned that such a move can endanger the natural wildlife since zoo animals are more prone to pests and can spread disease.
It further petitioned the Court to direct the Haryana government to conserve and protect the eco-sensitive hills, which are the oldest “fold mountain range” in the world.
Citing data from the Wildlife Institute of India, the application said that Aravalli is home to tigers, leopards, wolfs, blackbuck, chinkara, desert fox, migratory common cranes, coots (birds that inhabit ponds and lakes), pelicans among other animals in its forests.
“The decision of establishing the Safari Park within the sensitive and ecologically premium heritage of Aravalli Hills is totally uncalled and unwanted,” the activists said.
Haryana chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar had recently indicated that two firms have responded to the EoI issued in May and submitted their detailed technical proposal, design and presentation.
The state government proposes to complete the project in three phases with the first phase expected to get over in the next two years.
