Several encroachments near Aravalli Biodiversity Park cleared

GURUGRAM: Six days after a report by Millennium Post threw light on how the Aravalli Biodiversity park is falling prey to encroachments, the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG) razed more than 200 shanties were razed in the slums surrounding the park.

Several officials of the Corporation and Gurugram Police were present at the spot to prevent the exercise from taking a violent turn.

Officials maintain that they will clear the remaining slums that have sprung up around the area. “The Biodiversity Park has been made encroachment-free. Hundreds of huts were demolished on Wednesday and Nathupur area would also be developed,” said MCG Commissioner Yashpal Yadav.

Widescale encroachments on the Aravllis have been a major complaint of the residents. However, what seems to be a more serious problem is lack of action by authorities against encroachments that have mushroomed just 500 metres away from Delhi.

The impact of encroachment was recently felt when a massive fire engulfed the slums based in the Aravallis.

For a city where green spaces are becoming far and few, the 600 acre Biodiversity Park is only a stone’s throw away from Delhi and is a unique initiative of public private partnership. Over 14 multinational companies funded the project.

However, more than seven years after its conceptualisation, the maintenance of the Park is falling apart.

Since 2010, no plantations have been initiated by the Corporation and the responsibility has been given to a private organisation.

In addition to complaints of falling levels of greenery, citizens have also shared grievances shared of broken footpaths and seats at the Park.

The opportunity of developing the park into a popular tourist spot has further taken a jolt as various forms of entertainment zones and restaurants that were initially planned to having near the Park have not yet come up.