Eco-restoration, rejuvenation project inaugurated in Gurgaon

Haryana minister Rao Narbir Singh today inaugurated the Eco-Restoration and Rejuvenation Project for Chakkarpur Bandh (dam) in Gurgaon.
Noting that around 30 bandhs dating from the colonial and post-independence era existed in the region, Singh said the dams were important for protection against floods and also resulted in considerable ground water recharge in the area.
However, the city has grown around the bandhs and they are getting fragmented and encroached, he said. Most of them are in the heart of the city, occupying prime real estate and thus are not serving the purpose for which they were developed, he added.

The state minister for forests, wildlife and PWD on the occasion also stressed that the growing Gurgaon-Faridabad urban conglomerate was one of the most endangered urban landscapes.
Increasingly, citizen groups have been demanding that bandhs should be protected as green areas and would have immense aesthetic and recreational value for the public, he said.
Singh saidthis bandh is 5.2 kms long starts at Chakkarpur village, and continues till Sector 56, Gurgaon. It crosses three main East-West roads, and runs parallel to two high speed North-South roads in Gurgaon City.
Singh also flagged off a study on the Wildlife in the Aravalli areas which is being done by Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun. This would map the land use and land cover in the Aravalli hills of Haryana and assess the presence of major wildlife species in the Aravalli regions with emphasis on leopard and other apex predators.

This project would help the Forest Department in identifying and conserving the important habitats for the future preservation of wild animals in Aravallis, the minister added.