Gurgaon: An unauthorised concrete road laid along the edge of the Bandhwari landfill is set to be dismantled after the forest department ordered a halt to its construction on Wednesday. The track was laid within the Mangar Bani sacred grove and its buffer zone in Mangar and Bandhwari villages.Subhash Yadav, conservator of forests (South Haryana), said concreting roads inside Mangar Bani causes serious ecological damage. He added that while an informal unpaved path existed earlier, widening and paving it could fragment wildlife habitats in one of the last intact forest patches of the Aravalis.Forest officials said Mangar Bani remains protected due to its ecological and cultural importance. The grove is home to around 30 native tree species, over 130 shrubs and herbs, and more than 240 bird species. Experts have warned that even limited road access can accelerate habitat fragmentation, encroachment and long-term biodiversity loss.The area, along with surrounding gair mumkin pahar (uncultivable hill) zones, serves as a critical biodiversity hotspot in Delhi-NCR. It is contiguous with the Asola Bhatti Wildlife Sanctuary and functions as a wildlife corridor, bird habitat and groundwater recharge zone identified by the Central Ground Water Board.Environmentalists flagged that any road construction in the area could cause ecological imbalance. Col (retd) S.S. Oberoi said even an earthen road could open vehicular access and divert traffic from the Gurgaon–Faridabad road towards the grove. “Concretising the road will damage wildlife habitat and increase animal mortality. Mangar Bani is a no-construction zone, and this is a clear violation,” he said.Oberoi added that Mangar Bani qualifies as a deemed forest under the Godavarman judgment of the Supreme Court of India, making such construction a violation of the Forest Conservation Act.In 2014, National Green Tribunal directed the Haryana govt to designate Mangar Bani as a protected forest. The NCR Planning Board also directed that the grove and a 500-metre buffer be treated as a no-construction zone.In June 2016, the Haryana govt notified Mangar Bani and its 500-metre-wide buffer, covering around 1,800 acres, as a protected area, where construction, tree felling and mining are prohibited. Officials said the entire zone is classified as a deemed forest.
