Rs 2 cr annual budget, only 12 guards to preserve Gurugram Aravallis

Gurugram: The fact that Aravallis in Gurugram is dying a slow death is a fact admitted by the state government and even the public agencies which are in charge of protecting as well as enriching it. Despite the dangers posed to the lungs of the city, the indifference of the government agencies can be gauged from the fact that the budget for protecting Gurugram Aravvallis is being reduced on yearly basis. The Gurugram circle of Aravallis is being allocated Rs two crore annually most of which goes in the payment of the salaries to the officials. Moreover, only 12 contractual guards have been employed to protect the forest area.

Recently the fears of the green belt of Aravallis being further reduced gets compounded as the state government is mulling to release 2,000 acres of prime land of Aravallis from out of natural conservation zone (NCZ). The greater concern, however, remains that how on a constant basis, the Aravallis is being usurped by realtors and other forms of human settlements.

According to sources, over 2,000 acres of forest land have already been lost due to encroachments in Gurugram circle alone. There are as many as 30 cases that are held up in various courts regarding illegal encroachment of Aravallis in Gurugram.

The green activists for long have charged the state government and its machinery of colluding with the mafia and not saving the natural habitat.

The situation gets worse in areas of Mewat where the cases of illegal mining do not seem to subside. The wildlife institute of India in the year 2017 had provided a scathing report on the rapid degradation of Aravallis. Spread in the area of 6000 square kilometres, the report highlighted that open forest areas have been reduced to the area of meagre 119 square kilometres most of it is concentrated in Gurugram region. Further, in the last six years, there have already been 6 square kilometres of the green cover area that has been enhanced in Aravallis.

The report also highlights that in the last 16 years, the productivity of Aravallis land has reduced to 5,235 square kilometres from 5,495 square kilometres. The report also warns that if the trends of deterioration Aravallis trends continue, large parts of Aravallis will turn into a desert area.