The Haryana government plans to develop the ambitious Aravali Safari Park project as the world’s largest safari park. However, the project has been facing strong opposition ever since it was proposed.
Aravali Safari Park Project
- The Haryana government has proposed the world’s largest Aravali Safari Park on 3,858 hectares.
- 2,574 hectares of land has been covered in Gurugram and 1,284 hectares in Nuh.
- Wildlife enclosures, botanical gardens, aquariums, cable cars, hotels and animal hospitals will be built in the park.
- Earlier the tourism department was handling the project, but now it has been handed over to the forest department.
- An expert committee is monitoring the implementation of the project.
Major concerns related to the Aravalli Safari Park project
Increase in tourism in an ecologically sensitive area
- According to experts, the project focuses on promoting tourism rather than conserving the Aravalli range.
- The increase in the number of tourists, vehicular movement and construction work will affect the aquifers (water reserves) here, which are important for the water-stressed areas of Gurugram and Nuh.
Legal protection
- The project site falls in the “forest” category, which is protected under the Forest Conservation Act, 1980.
- Cutting of trees, land levelling, construction and real estate development are prohibited in this area.
Poor state of forest cover in Haryana
- According to experts, the forest cover of Haryana is a mere 3.6%, which is very low.
- The state needs to revive natural forests and not come up with safari projects that can damage forests.
The idea of artificial park
- Experts have questioned the need to create artificial safari parks in natural forests.
- A safari park with cages and enclosed areas in a natural wildlife area like Aravallis is not logical.
Aravalli Range – India’s oldest mountain range
- The Aravalli Range of North-West India is one of the oldest fold ranges in the world.
- At present, it survives in the form of Residual Mountains, with heights ranging from 300 to 900 metres.
Expansion
- This range starts from Himmatnagar in Gujarat and extends for about 720 km to Haryana, Rajasthan and Delhi.
In Rajasthan it is divided into two major ranges
- Sambhar-Sirohi Range
- Sambhar-Khetri Range (about 560 km stretch in Rajasthan)
Drainage Divide
- An invisible branch of Aravalli extends from Delhi to Haridwar, dividing the water flow of Joganga and Indus river systems.
Formation Process
- It is a Fold Mountain range, whose rocks are mainly made up of folded crust.
- It was formed due to Orogenic Movement, when two Convergent Plates moved towards each other.
Geological Importance
- The Aravalli mountain range is millions of years old, when the Indian subcontinent collided with the Eurasian plate.
- According to carbon dating, copper and other metals have been mined in this area since the 5th century BC.