Gurgaon: This comes days after Haryana forest department halted road-laying activity inside the ecologically sensitive forest.Fresh stacks of interlocking paver blocks were dumped at multiple locations inside the forest. Some stretches of an internal pathway appear to have already been laid, while additional material has been stockpiled along the route. Work is ongoing.Confirming the fresh activity, divisional forest officer (DFO) Jhalkar Uyake said the department has taken cognisance of the matter.On July 18, the forest department stopped the work and removed labourers from the site after complaints that a paved road was being laid inside the core forest without permission.The DFO has now written to the department of town and country planning (DTCP) to initiate action as the site falls within a notified no-construction zone.“We have noticed that fresh construction material has been brought to the site. We have written to DTCP to take action. The forest department already stopped the work earlier and we also went today to stop the work,” said Jhalkar.In June 2016, 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.The fresh movement of construction material has also raised questions about how the paver blocks were transported into the core forest despite the earlier intervention by the forest department.Environmentalist SS Oberoi said that bringing additional material into the forest despite the earlier halt indicates an attempt to revive the project. “The work was stopped after the issue came to light, but fresh paver blocks have now been transported into the forest. Authorities must identify who permitted the material to enter the core area and ensure that no road construction is allowed inside Mangar Bani,” he said.The renewed activity has alarmed conservationists because Mangar Bani is among the most ecologically significant forest patches in the Delhi-NCR Aravalis and is widely regarded as the region’s last surviving virgin forest.The sacred grove supports native tree species, provides habitat for wildlife and acts as an important groundwater recharge zone. It has been at the centre of several conservation campaigns and legal interventions over the years owing to increasing developmental pressures on the Aravali landscape.Environmentalists argue that even seemingly minor infrastructure such as paved roads can have long-term ecological consequences by fragmenting habitats, increasing human access, encouraging vehicular movement and paving the way for further construction inside the forest.The incident is likely to intensify concerns over the protection of Mangar Bani, which has repeatedly been projected by conservationists and govt agencies alike as one of the most critical natural forests in the Aravalis and a biodiversity hotspot that requires the highest level of protection.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.Oberoi added that Mangar Bani qualifies as a deemed forest under the Godavarman judgement of Supreme Court, making such construction a violation of Forest Conservation Act.The incident is likely to intensify concerns over the protection of Mangar Bani, which has repeatedly been projected by conservationists and govt agencies alike as one of the most critical natural forests in the Aravalis and a biodiversity hotspot that requires the highest level of protection.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.Oberoi added that Mangar Bani qualifies as a deemed forest under the Godavarman judgement of Supreme Court, making such construction a violation of Forest Conservation Act.
