Aravali Valley

Aravalli Conservation Project: Securing a Habitat for Leopards in Gurgaon

&NewLine;<p>November 08&comma; 2023 – In a significant move to safeguard the ecological integrity of the Aravalli range&comma; authorities have launched a comprehensive plan aimed at preserving a vital 15-kilometer stretch from the Bandhwari landfill to Damdama Lake in Gurgaon&period; This ambitious undertaking&comma; orchestrated in collaboration with the forest department&comma; district administration&comma; Gurugram Metropolitan Development Authority &lpar;GMDA&rpar;&comma; and the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram &lpar;MCG&rpar;&comma; has multifaceted objectives&comma; including the creation of a dedicated leopard park in Behrampur village&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p>At the heart of this visionary project is the establishment of a lush 15-kilometer jungle trail linking the Bandhwari landfill to Damdama Lake&period; This initiative is not only geared toward conserving the region&&num;8217&semi;s rich biodiversity but also addressing the growing encroachment by private landowners who often flout construction regulations&period; Inspired by the success of the Jhalana Leopard Safari Park in Jaipur&comma; the introduction of a leopard park in Gurgaon as part of this endeavor aims to curtail incidents of leopards venturing into urban areas&period; Furthermore&comma; GMDA is gearing up to conduct a feasibility study for the potential inclusion of a leopard safari within the park&comma; further enhancing its appeal&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p>The pressing need for such an initiative has become evident in the wake of several instances of human-wildlife conflicts in recent years&period; These include the tragic lynching of a leopard in Mandawar in 2016 and multiple hit-and-run accidents that have claimed the lives of 12 leopards over a 15-year period&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p>To lay the foundation for this transformational project&comma; an organization will be commissioned to conduct an exhaustive study of the Aravallis&period; The resulting insights will be presented to the Aravali Rejuvenation Board&comma; spearheaded by the deputy commissioner&comma; which is tasked with protecting the Aravalli hills from threats like mining and environmental degradation&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p>The proposed leopard conservation zone is designed to encompass vital amenities such as watering holes and solar pumps for a sustainable water supply&period; State-of-the-art camera traps will be deployed to monitor wildlife activity&comma; while indigenous grasslands will be nurtured to support local flora and fauna&period; Furthermore&comma; the project envisions the creation of a watchtower and an interpretation center to enrich the visitor experience&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p>To glean valuable insights and inspiration for the Gurgaon project&comma; GMDA officials are planning a visit to the Jhalana leopard park in November&period; This educational excursion will see the participation of representatives from various government departments and development authorities&period; GMDA&&num;8217&semi;s overarching objective is to promote regulated eco-tourism and wildlife awareness while preserving the natural habitat&period; Engaging the local community in the conservation of indigenous flora and fauna is expected to alleviate human-animal conflicts and create employment opportunities&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p>Leopards in the region have historically roamed between the Aravallis in Gurgaon and Faridabad&comma; the Asola Bhatti Wildlife Sanctuary in Delhi&comma; and the Sariska Tiger Reserve in Rajasthan&period; However&comma; rampant urbanization in these areas has severely disrupted their natural habitats&comma; leading to an upsurge in conflicts between humans and leopards&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p>The frequency of confirmed leopard sightings in Gurgaon and its neighboring districts has been steadily increasing in recent years&period; In 2022 alone&comma; five confirmed sightings were reported&comma; compared to two each in 2020 and 2021&period; This underscores the urgent need for initiatives that promote coexistence and conservation&comma; ensuring that these magnificent creatures continue to thrive in harmony with their human counterparts&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;

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