Harayana State Govt has invited an expression of interest has been invited by from private companies to design its ambitious Aravali Safari Park. Interested companies are expected to submit their proposals online before June 16, 2022. The proposed area for the park has degraded green cover due to development and falls between 10 villages of Gurugram and eight villages of Nuh. A report by SURFACES REPORTER (SR).
What to expect
Spread across 10,000 acre, the park is expected to have an entertainment zone, a safari club and an eco-village. The park’s entertainment zone will be reportedly designed along themes inspired by fiction or Indian mythological characters.
The safari club would act as a recreation club where leisure activities will be conducted. The club is expected to have venues to host conferences, large gatherings and accommodation. Other than that, an aquarium, a zip flyer, a cable car, a canopy safari and a tunnel walk will be a part of the safari club.
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The eco-village will take patrons through a cultural and culinary journey. The place will boast of handicraft and handloom products, fine dining, open-air theatre, stalls, display galleries, kiosks and food outlets.
Other than road networks for pedestrians, Aravali Safari Park will also offer horse and elephant rides alongside eco-trekking trails.
Challenges
The selected company will have to overcome the geographical challenges of the Aravali Park project. The land on which the park is expected to be built has poor moisture retention and is prone to water stress. According to Vasavi Taygi, Chief Conservator of Forests, South Haryana, the groundwork is expected to begin soon, for which companies are required to submit their proposals. However, before work commences, any further degradation of soil needs to be taken up alongside solutions to improve its moisture retention. Reportedly, this can be achieved by building a protection wall or a fence around the area, which would reduce the anthropogenic pressure.
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Measures need to be taken to conserve the moisture through the construction of dams and wire mesh stone structures that would help increase soil retention. The area is expected to turn green once again with these measures if there is no rampant grazing. The soil, therein, will be fertile for native species such as hingot, dhonk, dhak, beri, gondi, chamrod, papri, ganger, amongst others.
The presence of prosopis juliflora, an invasive species that suppresses the growth of others, is seen in this area. For other species to grow, there needs to be a systematic way of eliminating prosopis juliflora. Reports suggest that the department will be planting native species of saplings, which would be assisted with moisture conservation measures such as building of trenches. They would also ensure the biodiversity of the area.
The success of the project can only be measured by the visibility of plants that attain maturity and the improvement of water retention capacity. Additionally, water conservation and suitable soil measures to check denudation of the project area and enhancement of groundwater recharge will reportedly commence soon.
Image credits: Ixigo