Green cover of Aravalli continues to recede

The report by Wildlife Institute of India has again substantiated the concerns of declining green cover of Aravallis. Spread in the area of 6,000 sq km, the report highlights that the open forest areas have been reduced to an area of meagre 119 sq km, with most of it concentrated in Gurugram region.

Further, in the last six years, there have already been six sq km of green cover area that has been enhanced in Aravallis.

The report also highlights that in the last 16 years, the productivity of Aravalli land have reduced to 5,495 sq km to 5,235 sq km.

The report also warns that if the trends of deteriorating Aravallis trend continue, large parts of it will turn into a desert area.

The report comes at a time when the environmental activists are already criticising the Haryana Government over felling of more than 7,000 trees in the Aravalli area in Faridabad for a realty project.

While environmental activists claim that weak laws is resulting in public agencies to further reduce the forest areas, the officials on their part claims that only wild shrubs and Kikar trees are being felled.

Even though it contributes in maximum share of the 8 per cent green cover of Gurugram, rapid urbanisation, illegal encroachments and rapid extinction of natural aquifers are seen as major factors for quick deterioration of Aravallis.

There are as many as 30 cases that are held up in various courts regarding illegal encroachment of the area.

There have also been reports of illegal mining.

"There are various challenges in preservation of Aravallis and the difficulties will only increase with the mass urbanisation of districts in Haryana. However, our officials are trying our best to preserve the green belt by taking various like fencing and planting new varieties of plants," said a senior official from Forest Department, South Division.