What is the Aravali safari park project?

Sub: Env

Sec: Protected Areas

Context:

The Haryana government has proposed a 3,858-hectare Aravali Safari Park, which will be the world’s largest safari park.
It is spread across Gurugram and Nuh, covering 18 villages in total.
A group of 37 retired Indian Forest Service officers have written a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking to scrap the project arguing that the project’s aim is to simply increase tourist footfall and not conserve the mountain range.

About the Proposed Safari Park:

The park will include:
- Animal cages, guest houses, hotels, restaurants
- Auditoriums, an animal hospital, children’s parks
- Botanical gardens, aquariums, cable cars
- A tunnel walk with exhibits, an open-air theatre, eateries
The project was initially under the Haryana Tourism Department but has now been transferred to the Forest Department.
An expert committee has been formed to oversee its implementation.

Reasons for Opposition

Ecological and Environmental Concerns:

The Aravali hills are the oldest fold mountain range in the world and hold great ecological significance.
They combat desertification by preventing the spread of the Thar Desert towards eastern Rajasthan.
The region has diverse wildlife and plant species, making it an important ecological habitat.
The hills act as an aquifer, with fractured rocks allowing groundwater recharge.
Increased footfall, vehicular traffic, and construction will disturb aquifers, which are critical for water recharge in Gurugram and Nuh. The groundwater levels in these districts are already over-exploited, as per the Central Ground Water Board.

Legal and Conservation Issues:

The location of proposed safari park falls under ‘forest’ category and is protected under the Forest Conservation Act, 1980.
Haryana has a low forest cover (3.6%), and experts suggest rewilding natural forests instead of a safari project.

Laws Protecting the Aravalis:

Punjab Land Preservation Act (PLPA), 1900: Sections 4 and 5 of this Act restrict deforestation in the Aravali hills for non-agricultural purposes.
Around 24,000 hectares of Aravali land has been notified as Protected Forest under the Indian Forest Act.
The T.N. Godavarman Thirumulpad judgment (1996) provides legal protection to forests based on their dictionary meaning, covering areas not officially notified as forests.
National Capital Region (NCR) Regional Plan-2021: Designates the Aravalis as a ‘Natural Conservation Zone’ and restricts the maximum construction limit in the region to 5%.

About the Aravali range:

The Aravalli Range (also spelled Aravali) is a mountain range in Northwestern India.
It runs approximately 670 km in a south-west direction, starting near Delhi, passing through southern Haryana and Rajasthan, and ending in Gujarat.
The highest peak is Guru Shikhar at 1,722 metres (5,650 ft). Guru Shikhar is a peak in the Arbuda Mountains of Rajasthan. It is 15 km from Mount Abu.
Three major rivers and their tributaries flow from the Aravalli, namely Banas and Sahibi rivers which are tributaries of Yamuna, as well as Luni River which flows into the Rann of Kutch.