Mangarbani Still Has Original Ridge Vegetation; Gujjars Revere It As Abode Of Their Saint
Dipak Kumar Dash TNN
Mangar (Faridabad): Residents of this village are up in arms against the Haryana government’s plans to allow development in their neck of the Aravallis, as it could wipe out a 500-hectare forest revered by them for generations. Not only is the forest sacred, botanists and historians consider it one of the last surviving specimens of the ‘original’ Ridge vegetation. Even forest department officials admit that it is a virgin forest where not a single sapling has ever been planted.
Once the state government’s draft development plan for 23 villages, including Mangar, is finalized, more than 8,000 hectares will become available for non-forestry activities such as construction of farmhouses and non-polluting industries, hotels, motels and educational institutions. Worried about this, the villagers’ umbrella organization, Gram Vikas Samiti, has drafted a petition asking the state government to acquire the Mangar forest and declare it a “conserved area” under Wildlife Protection Act.
The plan has also kicked up a storm in official circles with the forest department reportedly complaining to the town and country planning department (DTCP) and the local deputy commissioner about not being consulted at the drafting stage. The forest department has also pointed out that the proposed development plan does not conform to Supreme Court decisions on protecting the Aravallis.
In the recent past, residents have reported tree felling in the forest and also complained about land buyers moving in to take possession of their plots. While many villagers themselves have gained from the unexpected rise in property prices as a result of the plan, they too are opposed to any development in the sacred part of the forest. Like the Bishnois of Rajasthan, who are known to protect trees and animals, the Gujjars of Mangar have taken upon themselves the protection of this forest, which they consider the abode of a saint,
Gudariya Das Baba.
The forest houses a large temple to Gudariya Baba and the locals claim they don’t cut even a twig inside it. “Whoever took away wood for cooking from here saw his kitchen burn down,” says the petition signed by the villagers.
This is not the first time that Mangarbani has been threatened by development. In 1998, the Haryana government had given in-principle approval for setting up of the 500-acre European Technology Park. However, when this issue was taken up with the Supreme Court-appointed Central Empowered Committee (CEC) in late 2008, it held that the Union ministry of environment and forests could clear the project proposed by the state government only after excluding the “deemed forest” area of Mangarbani.
Former conservator of forests, RP Balwan, who had taken up this issue with the CEC, said, “I have fears that Mangar will be destroyed sooner or later because of the greed of real estate developers and government officials. We are also concerned whether locals will stick to their present stand or succumb to monetary allurements.” Some of the environmentalists who met deputy commissioner Rakesh Gupta recently opposed the development plan. They pointed out that the SC order of 2002 had stopped mining and pumping of groundwater on land falling in the Aravalli hills in Faridabad, within 5 km of Delhi. Another concern for the environmentalists is that the development plan will fragment the hills into thousands of properties with boundary walls. This will stop the movement of wildlife and destroy the rare flora besides depleting the groundwater.
“I have been apprised of these important concerns, including how this area functions as a natural water recharge zone for the region. I will take a round of the locality soon,” Gupta told TOI.
DEFENDING A SACRED FOREST
Mangar located a few km off Faridabad-Gurgaon Road
In May 2008, villagers submitted a petition to Haryana forest department to save Mangarbani sacred grove
Town and country planning dept is finalizing Mangar Development Plan covering 10,426 hectare spread across 23 villages
AWAITING LEGAL STATUS
Mining and extraction operations, including lime and brick kilns; quarries and crushing; non-polluting industries; dhabas; banquet halls; motels; hotels; restaurants; resorts and amusement parks; farmhouses; godowns; universities
RARE SPECIES |
Dhau, kala siris , salai or frankincense tree , hingot, khair, kumtta, Dhak, phulai, kareel, kulu tree (Sterculia urens) and pisangan (Grewia flavscens). Frankincense trees grow only near the top of steep valleys
HALLOWED GROUND: Villagers say they do not use timber from the 500-hectare forest surrounding their saint’s temple
Dipak Kumar Dash TNN
Mangar (Faridabad): Residents of this village are up in arms against the Haryana government’s plans to allow development in their neck of the Aravallis, as it could wipe out a 500-hectare forest revered by them for generations. Not only is the forest sacred, botanists and historians consider it one of the last surviving specimens of the ‘original’ Ridge vegetation. Even forest department officials admit that it is a virgin forest where not a single sapling has ever been planted.
Once the state government’s draft development plan for 23 villages, including Mangar, is finalized, more than 8,000 hectares will become available for non-forestry activities such as construction of farmhouses and non-polluting industries, hotels, motels and educational institutions. Worried about this, the villagers’ umbrella organization, Gram Vikas Samiti, has drafted a petition asking the state government to acquire the Mangar forest and declare it a “conserved area” under Wildlife Protection Act.
The plan has also kicked up a storm in official circles with the forest department reportedly complaining to the town and country planning department (DTCP) and the local deputy commissioner about not being consulted at the drafting stage. The forest department has also pointed out that the proposed development plan does not conform to Supreme Court decisions on protecting the Aravallis.
In the recent past, residents have reported tree felling in the forest and also complained about land buyers moving in to take possession of their plots. While many villagers themselves have gained from the unexpected rise in property prices as a result of the plan, they too are opposed to any development in the sacred part of the forest. Like the Bishnois of Rajasthan, who are known to protect trees and animals, the Gujjars of Mangar have taken upon themselves the protection of this forest, which they consider the abode of a saint,
Gudariya Das Baba.
The forest houses a large temple to Gudariya Baba and the locals claim they don’t cut even a twig inside it. “Whoever took away wood for cooking from here saw his kitchen burn down,” says the petition signed by the villagers.
This is not the first time that Mangarbani has been threatened by development. In 1998, the Haryana government had given in-principle approval for setting up of the 500-acre European Technology Park. However, when this issue was taken up with the Supreme Court-appointed Central Empowered Committee (CEC) in late 2008, it held that the Union ministry of environment and forests could clear the project proposed by the state government only after excluding the “deemed forest” area of Mangarbani.
Former conservator of forests, RP Balwan, who had taken up this issue with the CEC, said, “I have fears that Mangar will be destroyed sooner or later because of the greed of real estate developers and government officials. We are also concerned whether locals will stick to their present stand or succumb to monetary allurements.” Some of the environmentalists who met deputy commissioner Rakesh Gupta recently opposed the development plan. They pointed out that the SC order of 2002 had stopped mining and pumping of groundwater on land falling in the Aravalli hills in Faridabad, within 5 km of Delhi. Another concern for the environmentalists is that the development plan will fragment the hills into thousands of properties with boundary walls. This will stop the movement of wildlife and destroy the rare flora besides depleting the groundwater.
“I have been apprised of these important concerns, including how this area functions as a natural water recharge zone for the region. I will take a round of the locality soon,” Gupta told TOI.
DEFENDING A SACRED FOREST
Mangar located a few km off Faridabad-Gurgaon Road
In May 2008, villagers submitted a petition to Haryana forest department to save Mangarbani sacred grove
Town and country planning dept is finalizing Mangar Development Plan covering 10,426 hectare spread across 23 villages
AWAITING LEGAL STATUS
Mining and extraction operations, including lime and brick kilns; quarries and crushing; non-polluting industries; dhabas; banquet halls; motels; hotels; restaurants; resorts and amusement parks; farmhouses; godowns; universities
RARE SPECIES |
Dhau, kala siris , salai or frankincense tree , hingot, khair, kumtta, Dhak, phulai, kareel, kulu tree (Sterculia urens) and pisangan (Grewia flavscens). Frankincense trees grow only near the top of steep valleys
HALLOWED GROUND: Villagers say they do not use timber from the 500-hectare forest surrounding their saint’s temple
manger bani must be preserved.
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