Trees felled, Aravali leopard trail set on fire to make way for illegal construction

Gurgaon: Around a dozen trees were felled, and small patches of the Aravalis near Pandala village were set ablaze -- in what appears to be an attempt to clear forest land along a leopard trail in the city.

Activists said on Friday that encroachers often use this method to carry out construction. Restaurants, cafes and amusement parks, all built illegally, have been flourishing near this 5km wildlife corridor in Pandala.

All non-forest activities, including construction, are banned in the area, which is notified under sections 4 and 5 of the Punjab Land Preservation Act (PLPA) and the Aravali Plantation.

On Friday, at least six people were seen chopping down trees and carrying bundles of wood into their vehicles. One of them told TOI that the land belongs to the village and they have rights on it.

This area is also part of the zone earmarked by Haryana govt to develop a zoo-safari in the city. Apart from parts of Pandala, the park will include protected Aravali land in nearby Sakatpur, Gairatpur Bas and Shikohpur with forest patches in Bhondsi, Ghamroj, Alipur, Tikli, Aklimpur, Naurangpur and Bar Gujar.

Environmentalists said any damage to the leopard trail -- which crosses Aklimpur and Titli villages in Sohna before entering Nuh's Firozpur Jhirka and concluding at Sariska National Park in Rajasthan – will affect wildlife.

"Any encroachment or non-forest activities in the area will disturb wildlife movement. Any disturbance in the ecosystem will affect the ecology. These kinds of land clearing and tree felling incidents need to be monitored, at least in the protected forest areas," said Sunil Harsana, an environmentalist and wildlife expert.

Another worry is the incidence of human-wildlife conflicts. The area near Pandala village is already fragmented because colonies and other settlements have come up, leaving little space for the big cat's habitat.

Sightings of leopards are common here. In 2020 and 2021, two leopards were spotted in Gurgaon, four in 2022 and five so far this year. A survey by the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) in 2017 found there were 31 leopards in south Haryana's Aravalis, a four-fold increase from the last survey in 2012, when the count was eight.

Over the last decade, the city has rapidly concretised, adding not just residential sectors, but also high-speed corridors such as Sohna highway and a portion of the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway. Croplands, which used to account for 71% of Gurgaon's total area in 2010, fell by half to 36% by 2020, according to govt data.

"There are already several eateries and amusement parks there. We need a strong mechanism to monitor sensitive areas of the Aravalis to ensure that wildlife corridors are not disturbed. We are witnessing an increase in man-animal conflict as tree felling and illegal land capturing are forcing wildlife into urban spaces," said Vaishali Rana, an environmental activist.

Asked about the latest incident, forest officials said they have deployed a team in Pandala. "We have stepped up vigilance to curb illegal activities. We are taking action and putting an end to tree felling and fire in the area. We will ensure that no one can damage the ecology of the Aravalis," said Vijender Singh, divisional forest officer, Gurgaon.

On illegal construction, a GMDA official said the restaurants, eateries and amusement parks in Gairatpur Bas and Sakatpur – located close to Pandala -- have been built on agricultural land.

"We earlier gave notices, and we will take action," said RS Bhath, district town planner (enforcement), GMDA.