Gurgaon: The city’s first urban forest is near collapse — the ‘Nagar Van’ in Ghata, projected as a green lung for the city, is fast turning into a dumpyard with rampant construction and demolition (C&D) waste dumping and large-scale encroachment threatening its survival. A TOI visit to the site found mounds of debris strewn across the land and unauthorised access points into the 40-acre urban forest. Launched in early 2024 with the aim of boosting green cover and improving air quality, the Ghata Nagar Van was funded by the union ministry of environment, forest and climate change and developed at a cost of about Rs 2 crore, which included Rs 1.5 crore spent on fencing the area. However, several stretches of the boundary wall have collapsed or been removed, allowing squatters to move in and vehicles to dump debris unchecked.Residents living near the site said the broken fencing has effectively left the forest unprotected. “The wall is completely open at several points. Trucks dump construction waste almost daily and trees are being chopped,” said Ashok Sharma, a Sector 57 resident. “If this continues, the entire project will be destroyed.”The ecology and wildlife of the area also face the brunt of civic neglect. The forest was planned as a biodiversity hub which would help conserve native Aravali species, medicinal plants and fruit-bearing trees. It was also meant to revive the flora and fauna around Ghata Jheel, once a natural waterbody that has now shrunk into a marshy, muck-filled pond.Now, unauthorised access to the land has allowed illegal activities such as tree felling and timber being extracted from the forest. With their habitat shrinking, several residents said, the population of jackals, wild boars, and rabbits has also dropped.Environmentalists warned that debris dumping will also affect the groundwater quality. “C&D waste dumping is a hazard for walkers and cyclists and blocks natural rainwater flow into the forest, affecting groundwater recharge and plant regeneration,” said Vaishali Rana, an environmental activist. “It is destroying what little green space the city has left.”An official said the forest dept has taken note of the matter. “We will send a team to investigate the condition of the boundary wall and the dumping. Patrolling will be increased,” he said, adding that the scale of encroachment would decide enforcement methods.A broken part of the boundary wall of the Ghata Nagar Van.Experts said the condition of Ghata Nagar Van highlights the larger struggle between urbanisation and conservation in the city. “This forest was meant to be a model for urban green spaces across Haryana but its neglect raises serious questions about the state’s ability to sustain such projects,” said ecologist Sunil Harsana.The dumping problem is compounded by the city’s lack of waste-processing infrastructure. Gurgaon has only one C&D waste treatment plant in Basai, spread across 3.5 acres, with a capacity of 300 metric tonnes per day — far lower than the city’s daily debris generation.Some locals have demanded immediate repair of the boundary wall, deployment of security personnel, and installation of CCTV cameras to stop trespassing. “Crores were spent on this forest but without protection it’s all going waste,” said Mukesh Yadav, another Sector-57 resident. “Authorities must fix accountability before it’s too late.”Meanwhile, the forest department said it plans to develop water bodies inside the forest and ensure year-round drinking water for wildlife, especially during summer, besides creating grasslands for feeding and breeding. However, with dumping and encroachment continuing unchecked, the future of Gurgaon’s first Nagar Van remains uncertain as the city grapples with rising pollution and vanishing green spaces.
