Gurgaon walks to save the Aravallis

Nature-loving Gurgaonwallahs got together on Sunday morning for an ‘Aravalli Walk’ to spread the message about the need to protect Haryana’s Aravalli forests. About a hundred people from different walks of life began the march from Kachra Chowk crossing and walked towards Faridabad and came back, covering a distance of about three kilometers. They carried placards and banners with messages asking for the entire range to be declared a natural conservation zone, the protection of Mangar Bani, and stopping construction in the Aravallis.
“We could have organized the rally near HUDA City Centre, but it was not a dharna. We walked on the Gurgaon-Faridabad Road because the Aravalli range is on both sides of the road. We wanted passersby to share our concern about environmental degradation. The participants ranged from schoolkids to people like Colonel SS Oberoi, the legal activist who has been fighting for the cause of the Aravallis,” says Chetan Agarwal, a freelance environmental analyst who stays on Sohna Road.
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The participants discussed the positive developments related to the Aravallis that took place in the last one year and the issues that still need to be addressed. “Gurgaon has no formal city forest except the MCG-and-citizen-run Biodiversity Park. The Aravalli range in Gurgaon should be notified as the city forest. Mangar Bani and other areas should be made a sanctuary and the entire range should be declared a deemed forest,” Agarwal added.
Unaware of the complexities of the campaign to save the Aravallis, schoolkids turned up at the rally demanding more greenery in the city. “I just saw Jungle Book. It’s amazing how a kid grows up in a forest, while we live in a concrete jungle. We need more trees in the city. We want more birds chirping in the trees instead of a city full of dust,” said Ishaan, a Class IX student.