A group of retired forest officers has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi demanding the immediate scrapping of the 10,000-acre safari project in Haryana's Aravallis.
In their letter, 37 retired Indian Forest Service officers, including the former principal chief conservators of forests, argued that the project is focused on boosting tourism rather than conserving wildlife.
They also highlighted the "alarming destruction" of India's oldest mountain range due to mining, quarrying, real estate development, and deforestation.
The retired forest officers pointed out that human activities in the Aravallis, which stretch across Gujarat, Rajasthan, Haryana, and end near Delhi, have destroyed wildlife habitats, leading to human-wildlife conflicts and severely depleted groundwater in many areas.
They said the project's goal is to increase tourist footfall in Haryana and attract government and private investment in the tourism sector.
"Conservation of the Aravallis is not the goal," their letter read.
Apart from increasing vehicular traffic and construction in the ecologically sensitive area, the project could also disturb aquifers that are crucial for the water-starved districts of Gurugram and Nuh, they warned.
"The aquifers are interconnected, and any disturbance or alterations in the pattern can significantly impact groundwater," they said.
The Central Ground Water Board has already classified groundwater levels in Gurugram and Nuh as "overexploited".
The safari project, announced in April 2022 by then Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, spans 10,000 acres of the Aravallis in Gurugram and Nuh districts. It was also part of the BJP's election promises for the 2024 Haryana polls.
According to a survey by the Haryana Forest Department a few years ago, the Aravallis are home to 180 bird species, 15 mammal species, 29 aquatic species, 57 butterfly species, and many reptiles.
While zoos and safari parks built on forest land are considered forest activities, the foresters pointed out that cutting trees, clearing land, construction, and real estate development in such areas is prohibited.
"A zoo or safari is often not essential for wildlife conservation. While they can help breed endangered species, keeping animals in captivity in limited spaces can negatively impact their natural behaviours.
"The most effective conservation efforts focus on protecting natural habitats and addressing threats in the wild, rather than relying on captive breeding programmes in zoos," said Uma Shanker Singh, retired principal chief conservator of forests from Uttar Pradesh.
The retired officers stressed that Haryana has the lowest forest cover in India (3.6 percent of its geographical area) and the Aravalli range is the only saving grace.
"If left untouched, the Aravallis would help restore humidity and bring sufficient rainfall to the region," they said.
"Destruction of this fragile ecosystem is causing significant and irreversible biodiversity loss, land degradation, and a decline in vegetation cover, negatively impacting communities, cattle, and wildlife living in the Aravallis.
"The primary purpose of any intervention in this eco-sensitive region must be 'conservation and restoration,' not destruction, which the zoo safari will bring," said RP Balwan, retired conservator of forests, Haryana.
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