Forests Department, Haryana is a department of the

Government of Haryana Government of Haryana, also known as the State Government of Haryana, or locally as the Haryana Government, is the supreme governing authority of the Indian state of Haryana and its 22 districts. It consists of an executive, ceremonially led ...

, a

state State most commonly refers to: * State (polity), a centralized political organization that regulates law and society within a territory **Sovereign state, a sovereign polity in international law, commonly referred to as a country **Nation state, a ...

India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...

, that runs and maintains many protected nature areas in the state of

Haryana Haryana () is a States and union territories of India, state located in the northern part of India. It was carved out after the linguistic reorganisation of Punjab, India, Punjab on 1 November 1966. It is ranked 21st in terms of area, with les ...

. It has two administrative divisions:

Forest A forest is an ecosystem characterized by a dense ecological community, community of trees. Hundreds of definitions of forest are used throughout the world, incorporating factors such as tree density, tree height, land use, legal standing, ...

and

Wildlife Wildlife refers to domestication, undomesticated animals and uncultivated plant species which can exist in their natural habitat, but has come to include all organisms that grow or live wilderness, wild in an area without being species, introdu ...

. The department is responsible for maintaining

National Parks A national park is a nature park designated for conservation (ethic), conservation purposes because of unparalleled national natural, historic, or cultural significance. It is an area of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that is protecte ...

Wildlife Sanctuaries A nature reserve (also known as a wildlife refuge, wildlife sanctuary, biosphere reserve or bioreserve, natural or nature preserve, or nature conservation area) is a protected area of importance for flora, fauna, funga, or features of geologi ...

and Conservation Reserves in

. It also provides a special emphasis on Soil and Moisture Conservation works in the hills to conserve water and deliver it to adjacent farmlands. Two National Parks, eight Wildlife Sanctuaries, two Conservation Reserves, four Animal & Bird Breeding Centres, one Deer park, and 49 herbal parks.

Kanwar Pal Gujjar Kanwar Pal Gujjar is an Indian politician who was the speaker of the Haryana Legislative Assembly from 26 October 2014 to 4 November 2019. He belongs to Bharatiya Janata Party and was elected to the assembly from Jagadhri two times. He was b ...

has been the cabinet minister responsible for this department since October 2019. constitute the Protected Area network of the department, covering 0.75% of the

. It also maintains a list of

Protected Areas Protected areas or conservation areas are locations which receive protection because of their recognized natural or cultural values. Protected areas are those areas in which human presence or the exploitation of natural resources (e.g. firewoo ...

Administrative divisions

Principal Chief Conservator of Forests The Indian Forest Service (IFS) is the premier forest service of India. .The IFS is one of the three All India Services along with the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) & the Indian Police Service (IPS). It was constituted in the year 1966 un ...

heads the Haryana Forests Department. There are two divisions: Wildlife Zones for

wildlife Wildlife refers to domestication, undomesticated animals and uncultivated plant species which can exist in their natural habitat, but has come to include all organisms that grow or live wilderness, wild in an area without being species, introdu ...

and Forests Zones for

forest A forest is an ecosystem characterized by a dense ecological community, community of trees. Hundreds of definitions of forest are used throughout the world, incorporating factors such as tree density, tree height, land use, legal standing, ...

Forests zones

There are two Forests Protection zones and 4 Forests circles/divisions, i.e., 2 circles per zone. Each Forests Protection Zone is headed by the Chief Conservator of Forests assisted by his subordinate Divisional Forest Officer (DFO), who heads the respective circles.Haryana Forests Manual
/ref> * Forests Protection Zone-1: Based at Panchkula, covers the geographical northern half of Haryana. ** North Forests Circle/Division: Covers northeast geographical quadrant of Haryana including Shivalik Hills and down to Sonipat. ** West Forests Circle/Division: Covers northwest geographical quadrant of Haryana including Sirsa, Hisar, Jind.
Business Standard, 18 January 2018. * Forests Protection Zone-2: Based at Gurugram, covers geographical southern half of Haryana. ** Central Forests Circle/Division: Covers central geographical quadrant of Haryana including Rohtak, Jhajjar, Charkhi Dadri, Bhiwani, Mahendragarh etc. ** South Forests Circle/Division: Covers geographical South Haryana including Faridabad, Nuh, Palwal, etc.

Wildlife zones

There are two sub zones, each one headed by the Chief Conservator of Wildlife. * Wildlife North zone: Based at Panchkula, covers the geographical northern half of Haryana including Shivalik Hills to Sirsa, to Hisar to Rohtak. * Wildlife South zone: Based at Gurugram, covers the geographical southern half of Haryana including Charkhi Dadri, Bhiwani, Mahendragarh, Nuh, palwal, Gurugram, Faridabad, etc.

Flora of Haryana

Forests of Haryana include 3.52% area of Haryana as reserved forests, and additionally, nearly 3.62% of Haryana is under tree cover. Thus a total of 7.14% of Haryana is under tree cover against the national target of 30%, and state target of 20% land under

forest cover Forest cover is the amount of trees that covers a particular area of land. It may be measured as relative (in percent) or absolute (in square kilometres/ square miles). Nearly a third of the world's land surface is covered with forest, with clos ...

. India's forest policy mandates bringing 20% land under forest cover with the view to having a total of 30% area under forest cover, and Haryana only has 3.9% (1,584 km²) land under forest cover, which was further reduced by 79.44 km² between 2014–15 and 2016-17 due to diversion of forest land to other uses. The main forest cover lies in Sivalik Hills Range in the northeast and Aravalli Hills Range in the south of Haryana.

Mangar Bani Mangar Bani is a Paleolithic archaeological site and sacred grove hill forest next to the Mangar village on Delhi-Haryana border. It lies in the South Delhi Ridge of Aravalli mountain range in Faridabad tehsil of Faridabad district in the Ind ...

is a

sacred grove Sacred groves, sacred woods, or sacred forests are groves of trees that have special religious importance within a particular culture. Sacred groves feature in various cultures throughout the world. These are forest areas that are, for the most ...

in Haryana Aravallis, which is also the largest and one of the oldest Neolithic sites in India with stone tools and rock paintings.

Yamuna The Yamuna (; ) is the second-largest tributary river of the Ganges by discharge and the longest tributary in India. Originating from the Yamunotri Glacier at a height of about on the southwestern slopes of Bandarpunch peaks of the Low ...

and

Sarasvati Saraswati (, ), also spelled as Sarasvati, is one of the principal Devi, goddesses in Hinduism, revered as the goddess of knowledge, education, learning, arts, speech, poetry, music, purification, language and culture. Together with the godde ...

(

Ghaggar The Ghaggar-Hakra River () is an intermittent river in India and Pakistan that flows only during the monsoon season. The river is known as Ghaggar before the Ottu barrage at , and as Hakra downstream of the barrage in the Thar Desert. In pr ...

) rivers are

sacred rivers Sacred describes something that is dedicated or set apart for the service or worship of a deity; is considered worthy of spiritual respect or devotion; or inspires awe or reverence among believers. The property is often ascribed to objects (a ...

that flow through Haryana. Dhosi Hills is one of the

sacred mountains Sacred mountains are central to certain religions, and are usually the subjects of many legends. For many, the most symbolic aspect of a mountain is the peak because it is believed that it is closest to heaven or other religious realms. Many reli ...

of Haryana. By 2021, the Haryana government provides INR50 per tree per student every six months for classes 6 to 12 for planting and caring for trees for at least three years. The government is considering making it mandatory to plant and care for at least ten trees to obtain the graduation certificate from year 12. Higher degrees and students will be given ten marks for planting trees. Forests Department, Haryana has initiated a state-wide program to plant

panchavati Nashik, formerly Nasik, is a city in the northern region of the Indian state of Maharashtra situated on the banks of the river Godavari, about northeast of the state capital Mumbai. Nashik is one of the Hindu pilgrimage sites of the Kumbh ...

groves in each village, along the

temples A temple (from the Latin ) is a place of worship, a building used for spiritual rituals and activities such as prayer and sacrifice. By convention, the specially built places of worship of some religions are commonly called "temples" in Engli ...

ponds A pond is a small, still, land-based body of water formed by pooling inside a depression, either naturally or artificially. A pond is smaller than a lake and there are no official criteria distinguishing the two, although defining a pond t ...

, and

common land Common land is collective land (sometimes only open to those whose nation governs the land) in which all persons have certain common rights, such as to allow their livestock to graze upon it, to collect wood, or to cut turf for fuel. A person ...

. From 2021, the village identified the land for planting these groves, which will be looked after by the villagers. Within each grove, the peepal will be planted in the east, Banyan in the north, bel in the centre, amla in the west and ashoka tree in the south.

Panchavati Nashik, formerly Nasik, is a city in the northern region of the Indian state of Maharashtra situated on the banks of the river Godavari, about northeast of the state capital Mumbai. Nashik is one of the Hindu pilgrimage sites of the Kumbh ...

, are groves of five trees sacred to Indian-origin religions, such as

Hinduism Hinduism () is an Hypernymy and hyponymy, umbrella term for a range of Indian religions, Indian List of religions and spiritual traditions#Indian religions, religious and spiritual traditions (Sampradaya, ''sampradaya''s) that are unified ...

Buddhism Buddhism, also known as Buddhadharma and Dharmavinaya, is an Indian religion and List of philosophies, philosophical tradition based on Pre-sectarian Buddhism, teachings attributed to the Buddha, a wandering teacher who lived in the 6th or ...

and

Jainism Jainism ( ), also known as Jain Dharma, is an Indian religions, Indian religion whose three main pillars are nonviolence (), asceticism (), and a rejection of all simplistic and one-sided views of truth and reality (). Jainism traces its s ...

. Panchvati has five types of sacred trees, however, there are more than five types of trees that are considered sacred and form the part of Panchayati. Sacred trees used in panchavati are the Vata (

ficus benghalensis ''Ficus benghalensis'', ''Ficus indica'', or ''Ficus audrey'' commonly known as the banyan, banyan fig and Indian banyan, is a tree native to the Indian Subcontinent. Specimens in India are among the largest trees in the world by canopy coverage. ...

, Banyan), Ashvattha (

ficus religiosa ''Ficus religiosa'' or sacred fig is a species of fig native to the Indian subcontinent and Indochina that belongs to Moraceae, the fig or mulberry family. It is also known as the bodhi tree, bo tree, peepul tree, peepal tree, pipala tree or ...

, Peepal), Bilva (

aegle marmelos ''Aegle marmelos'', commonly known as bael (or ''bili'' or ''bhel''), also Bengal quince, golden apple, Japanese bitter orange, stone apple or wood apple, is a species of tree native to the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia. It is present i ...

, Bengal Quince), Amalaki (

phyllanthus emblica ''Phyllanthus emblica'', also known as emblic, emblic myrobalan, myrobalan, nelikai, Indian gooseberry, Malacca tree, amloki or amla, is a deciduous tree of the family Phyllanthaceae. Its native range is tropical and southern Asia. Descript ...

, Indian Gooseberry, Amla), Ashoka (

Saraca asoca ''Saraca asoca'', commonly known as the ashoka tree (lit. "sorrow-less"), is a plant belonging to the Detarioideae subfamily of the Fabaceae family of plants (also referred to as the legume, pea, or bean family). The tree is native to the Indian ...

, Ashok), Udumbara (

ficus racemosa ''Ficus racemosa'', the cluster fig, red river fig or gular, is a species of plant in the family Moraceae. It is native to Australia and tropical Asia. It is a fast-growing plant with large, very rough leaves, usually attaining the size of a lar ...

, Cluster Fig, Gular), Nimba (

Azadirachta indica ''Azadirachta indica'', commonly known as neem, margosa, nimtree or Indian lilac, is a tree in the mahogany family Meliaceae. It is one of the two species in the genus ''Azadirachta''. It is native to the Indian subcontinent and to parts of Sout ...

, Neem) and Shami ( prosopis spicigera, Indian Mesquite). In Hindu belief, the

Kalpavriksha Kalpavriksha (, Kalpavṛkṣa) is a wish-fulfilling divine tree in religions like Hinduism, Jainism, and Buddhism. In Buddhism, another term, ''ratnavṛkṣa'' (jeweled tree)'','' is also common''.'' Its earliest descriptions are mentione ...

is a wish-granting tree. In addition to the Panchvati trees described below, the other sacred trees include the Akshayavat -a sacred fig tree,

Banana leaf The banana leaf is the leaf of the banana plant, which may produce up to 40 leaves in a growing cycle. The leaves have a wide range of applications because they are large, flexible, waterproof and decorative. They are used for cooking, wrappin ...

, Kadamba, Parijaat,

Sandalwood Sandalwood is a class of woods from trees in the genus ''Santalum''. The woods are heavy, yellow, and fine-grained, and, unlike many other aromatic woods, they retain their fragrance for decades. Sandalwood oil is extracted from the woods. Sanda ...

, etc. Bodhi Tree(Banyan) is specially revered, and there are numerous large banyan trees in India. The sacred fruits and plants include the Bael,

Kusha grass Kusha () also known as Darbha () and Pavitram (), are the Sanskrit terms for ''Desmostachya bipinnata'' grass. This grass is of literary and ritual significance in Hinduism. In the performance of Vedic rituals such as the homa and tarpana, the ...

Tulsi ''Ocimum tenuiflorum'', commonly known as holy basil, ''tulasi'' or ''tulsi'' (), is an aromatic perennial plant in the family Lamiaceae. It is widely cultivated throughout the Southeast Asian tropics. It is native to tropical and subtropical r ...

(see Tulasi chaura and

Tulsi Vivah Tulasi Vivaha (, Gujarati: તુલસી વિવાહ, , , , ), also called Tulasi Kalyanam, is a Hindu ritual, in which a symbolic ceremonial wedding takes place between a tulasi plant or holy basil (the personification of Lakshmi) an ...

), flowers such as Lotus,

Champaka ''Magnolia champaca'', known in English as champak (), is a large evergreen tree in the family Magnoliaceae. It was previously classified as ''Michelia champaca''. It is known for its fragrant flowers, and its timber used in woodworking. Etymo ...

coconut The coconut tree (''Cocos nucifera'') is a member of the palm tree family (biology), family (Arecaceae) and the only living species of the genus ''Cocos''. The term "coconut" (or the archaic "cocoanut") can refer to the whole coconut palm, ...

paan Betel nut chewing, also called betel quid chewing or areca nut chewing, is a practice in which areca nuts (also called "betel nuts") are chewed together with slaked lime and betel leaves for their stimulant and narcotic effects, the prima ...

(betal leaf),

banana leaf The banana leaf is the leaf of the banana plant, which may produce up to 40 leaves in a growing cycle. The leaves have a wide range of applications because they are large, flexible, waterproof and decorative. They are used for cooking, wrappin ...

, etc. are also sacred. Tulsi in India is cultivated for religious and

traditional medicine Traditional medicine (also known as indigenous medicine or folk medicine) refers to the knowledge, skills, and practices rooted in the cultural beliefs of various societies, especially Indigenous groups, used for maintaining health and treatin ...

purposes and also for its

essential oil An essential oil is a concentrated hydrophobic liquid containing volatile (easily evaporated at normal temperatures) chemical compounds from plants. Essential oils are also known as volatile oils, ethereal oils, aetheroleum, or simply as the ...

. It is widely used as a

herbal tea Herbal teas, technically known as herbal infusions, and less commonly called tisanes (UK and US , US also ), are beverages made from the infusion or decoction of herbs, spices, or other plant material in hot water. Often herb tea, or the plai ...

, commonly used in

Ayurveda Ayurveda (; ) is an alternative medicine system with historical roots in the Indian subcontinent. It is heavily practised throughout India and Nepal, where as much as 80% of the population report using ayurveda. The theory and practice of ayur ...

. It has a place within the

Vaishnava Vaishnavism () ), also called Vishnuism, is one of the major Hindu traditions, that considers Vishnu as the sole supreme being leading all other Hindu deities, that is, '' Mahavishnu''. It is one of the major Hindu denominations along wit ...

tradition of

, in which devotees perform worship involving holy basil plants or leaves. The sacred flowers include the Lotus,

and Marigold.

Fauna of Haryana

Biodiversity of wild animal species

Gurugram and Faridabad have a high concentration of wild animals with 27 species from 14 families, including leopards, hyena, jackal, wolf, fox, jungle cat, mongoose, civet, porcupine, hare, wild pig, rhesus macaque, nilgai, grey francolin and chinkara in the rapidly degrading ecosensitive areas of Raisina, Manesar, Nuh, Mohamadpur Ahir, Bhondsi, Damdama, Mangarbani and Mandawar.There may be an increase in leopard population in Gurugram
Millennium Post, 7 August 2019. Northern Aravalli leopard and wildlife corridor between from

Sariska Tiger Reserve Sariska Tiger Reserve is a tiger reserve in Alwar district, Rajasthan, India. It stretches over an core tiger habitat area of and 322.23 km² of buffer area making 1203.34 km² total area of tiger reserve. It is comprising scrub-thorn arid ...

in Rajasthan to Delhi Ridge is a 200 km long important

biodiversity Biodiversity is the variability of life, life on Earth. It can be measured on various levels. There is for example genetic variability, species diversity, ecosystem diversity and Phylogenetics, phylogenetic diversity. Diversity is not distribut ...

and wildlife corridor which is a habitat for the Indian leopards and jackals of Aravalli, who often migrate between Delhi and Sariska, but the urban development, in particular the highways and railways bisecting the Aravalli range and wildlife corridor in several place pose a great risk. According to a 2019 study by

Bombay Natural History Society The Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS), founded on 15 September 1883, is one of the largest non-governmental organisations in India engaged in conservation and biodiversity research. It supports many research efforts through grants and publ ...

(BNHS) at the

Asola Bhatti Wildlife Sanctuary Asola-Bhati Wildlife Sanctuary covering 32.71 km2 area on the Delhi Ridge, Southern Delhi Ridge of Aravalli hill range on Delhi-Haryana border lies in Southern Delhi as well as northern parts of Faridabad and Gurugram districts of Haryana ...

the number of

golden jackal The golden jackal (''Canis aureus''), also called the common jackal, is a wolf-like canid that is native to Eurasia. The golden jackal's coat varies in color from a pale creamy yellow in summer to a dark tawny beige in winter. It is smaller a ...

has doubled from 8 to 19 in 8 km tract where rodents and hares are their prey base along with the staple diet of zizipus jujube (jhad ber),

ruddy mongoose The ruddy mongoose (''Urva smithii'') is a mongoose species native to hill forests in India and Sri Lanka. Description Its head to body length is with a long tail. Distribution and habitat The ruddy mongoose is mainly a forest-living animal ...

and

jungle cat The jungle cat (''Felis chaus''), also called reed cat and swamp cat, is a medium-sized cat native from the Eastern Mediterranean region and the Caucasus to parts of Central, South and Southeast Asia. It inhabits foremost wetlands like swamps, ...

s are often sighted too, though

striped hyena The striped hyena (''Hyaena hyaena'') is a species of hyena native to North and East Africa, the Middle East, the Caucasus, Central Asia, and the Indian subcontinent. It is the only extant species in the genus ''Hyaena''. It is listed by the IU ...

have been vanishing.Golden jackal numbers double in Asola
Times of India, 16 February 2019. In 2021, to provide bird habitats in rapidly urbanising areas the Haryana Wildlife Department distributed 6000 bird nest boxes, 1000 each in 6 districts of

South Haryana South Haryana is an underdeveloped region of the Indian state of Haryana. South Haryana has dearth of essentials i.e. water ( Bhakra water), road, transport and protracted demand of University and educational institutes. The Haryana government is ...

, bird houses to be given to panchayats, government offices, NGOs, etc. To cater for birds of small and medium sizes, the boxes are of two types - 9x9 inch and 1 ft. x 1 ft. Boxes need to be placed in a way that the opening faces away from the strong winds so that hatchlings are protected. Wildlife activists demanded that the government need to take more conservation action than just distributing bird boxes.To give homes to sparrows and mynahs Haryana plans 6000 nest boxes in 6-districts
Times of India, 19 July 201. In 2019, Haryana established a Sparrow Rescue and Research Centre (SRRCP) in Jodhpur village near Bhondsi Nature Camp in Aravalli mountain range in the south Haryana and earlier it had established the SJatayu Conservation and Breeding Centre at Pinjore in Shivalik mountain range in the north Haryana with the help of

. Though

International Union for Conservation of Nature The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) is an international organization working in the field of nature conservation and sustainable use of natural resources. Founded in 1948, IUCN has become the global authority on the stat ...

has classified the sparrow as least-concerned species globally but its numbers have been declining, specially in Punjab and Haryana. Centres will be focused on conducting research on the causes of decline and to formulate action plans to reverse that.

Leopards

The Leopards of Haryana, the largest predatory mammal of the state, are found in two distinct biospheres, in the Shivalik hill range in the north especially in and around

Kalesar National Park Kalesar National Park () and adjacent Kalesar Wildlife Sanctuary ( are protected areas in Kalesar of Yamunanagar district of Haryana state in India, 46 kilometres from Yamunanagar city, from Chandigarh. Kalesar National Park was established ...

and the

Morni Morni is a village and tourist attraction in the Morni Hills in the Panchkula district of the northern Indian state of Haryana. The village lies at a height of above sea level and is located around from Chandigarh and from Panchkula city ...

hills forest, and also in

in the forests of Northern Aravalli leopard and wildlife corridor. Haryana has nearly 100 leopards in Shivalik and Aravalli,Radio collars to be put on leopards in Haryana
24 December 2019. including 24 in Kalesar National park alone, and 40 to 45 leopards in Gurugram-Faridabad Aravali of which 35 in Gurugram alone. Large parts of Aravalli are legally and physically unprotected, with no

wildlife crossing Wildlife crossings are structures that allow animals to cross human-made barriers safely. Wildlife crossings may include underpass tunnels or wildlife tunnels, viaducts, and overpasses or green bridges (mainly for large or herd-type animals ...

s and little or no

wildlife conservation Wildlife conservation refers to the practice of protecting wild species and their habitats in order to maintain healthy wildlife species or populations and to restore, protect or enhance natural ecosystems. Major threats to wildlife include habita ...

work resulting in deaths of over 11 leopards in 4 years between January 2015 to January 2019.Death, proof of leopard life in Asola sanctuary
Hindustan Times, 31 January 2019.10-month-old leopard found dead on Gurugram-Faridabad Expressway
India Today, 31 January 2019.Leopard killed in accident on Gurugram-Faridabad road
Times of India, 30 January 2019. In January 2019,

Wildlife Institute of India The Wildlife Institute of India (WII) is an autonomous natural resource service institution established in 1982 under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Ministry of Environment Forest and Climate change, Government of Indi ...

(WII) announced that they will undertake the survey of leopard and wildlife, using

pugmark Pugmark is the term used to refer to the footprint of most animals (especially megafauna). "Pug" means foot in Hindi (Sanskrit पद् "pad"; Greek πούς "poús"). Every individual animal species has a distinct pugmark and as such this is used ...

s and trap cameras, subsequently leopards and jackals will be tracked via the radio tracking collars. In 2019, the government of Haryana decided to fit all the leopards with radio tracking collars so that their hunting patterns can be studied and the human animal conflicts can be avoided by rescuing leopards straying in human habitations.

Increasing number of leopards

According to the

(WII) study in 2017, the number of leopards increased in the forested areas of Aravali in Gurugram and Faridabad, from virtually none in the 1980s to 40 to 45 leopards. Leopards pugmarks have often been sighted at "Asola Bhatti wildlife sanctuary" and the contiguous forested areas of Gurugram-Faridabad Aravalli hills such as

Badkhal Lake Badkhal Lake is a natural lake situated in Badkhal village near Faridabad, in the Indian state of Haryana, about 32 kilometers from the national capital of Delhi. Fringed by the hills of the Aravalli Range, this was a man-made embankment. Owing ...

wildlife area, Mohbtabad, Roj ka Meo.

High leopard death rate caused by humans

According to a study by

WII The Wii ( ) is a home video game console developed and marketed by Nintendo. It was released on November 19, 2006, in North America, and in December 2006 for most other regions of the world. It is Nintendo's fifth major home game console, f ...

Wildlife Conservation Society The Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) is a global 501(c)(3) organization, 501(c)(3) non-governmental organization, headquartered at the Bronx Zoo in New York City, with a mission to save "wildlife and wild places across the globe". Founded in ...

and the

National Centre for Biological Sciences National Centre for Biological Sciences (NCBS) in Bangalore, Karnataka, is a research centre specialising in biological research. It is a part of the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR) under the Department of Atomic Energy of the Go ...

the number of leopard has decreased by 80% in last 100 years in India.Protect the spots Leopards in crisis
Millennium Post, 3 February 2018. According to

Wildlife Protection Society of India Wildlife refers to undomesticated animals and uncultivated plant species which can exist in their natural habitat, but has come to include all organisms that grow or live wild in an area without being introduced by humans. Wildlife was also ...

(WPSI) 500 leopards died in India in 2018. In first four months of 2019, 218 leopards were killed which is 40% more than previous year, thus according to the WPSI assessment this puts leopards at higher risk of extinction than tigers due to very high mortality rate. Leopards adopt to living peacefully near the human habitats, but this also puts them at greater risk of being killed by humans due to poaching, electrocution, being hit by vehicles, etc.Trapped, beaten or shot to death: India loses 218 leopards in 2019
Business Standard, 8 June 2019. Between January 2014 to January 2018, 11 leopards were killed in Faridabad-Gurugram area in 4 years, due to the increased human-animal conflict after leopards strayed in human habitations as there is scarcity of water in summer months and the man-made drinking water pits for animals in Aravallis remain empty as the water from the pipeline is misused illegally used for other construction activities.Gurugram: 11 leopards killed in 4 years
Millennium Post, 1 February 2019. In 2019 alone, 4 leopards were killed in Gurugram, 3 on Gurugram-Faridabad road and Mandawar, a fourth one in Uttamwala village near Kalesar National Park. In October 2020, a male leopard was killed in a road accident on Gurugram-Faridabad State highway.Leopard killed in accident on highway
The Hindu, 2 October 2020. In July 2021, another leopard was killed on Gurugram-Faridabad Road near

Surajkund Surajkund is an ancient reservoir of the 10th century located on Southern Delhi Ridge of Aravalli range in Faridabad city of Haryana state about 8 km (5mi) from South Delhi. Surajkund ( literally 'Lake of the Sun') is an artificial Kund ...

due to the brain haemorrhage after being hit by a vehicle.Leopard Killed After Being Hit By Vehicle In Haryana's Faridabad

NDTV New Delhi Television Ltd is an Indian news media company focusing on broadcast and digital news publication. It was founded in 1984 by economist Prannoy Roy and journalist Radhika Roy. NDTV began as a production house for news segments, ...

, 29 July 2021. In Haryana, large parts of Aravalli are legally and physically unprotected, with no wildlife passages and little or no wildlife conservation work. Majority of deaths happen on three highways, mostly on Faridabad-Gurugaon road followed by NH-48 Delhi-Chennai Highway and Kundli-Manesar-Palwal Expressway (KMPE), all of these cut through the wildlife corridor from Asola Wildlife Sanctuary in Delhi to Sariska in Rajasthan passing through

Gurugram Gurgaon (), officially named Gurugram (), is a satellite city of Delhi and administrative headquarters of Gurgaon district, located in the northern Indian state of Haryana. It is situated near the Delhi–Haryana border, about southwest o ...

(Mangar-Bandhwari). Highest number of leopard deaths happen on Gurugram-Faridabad Highway which bisects these forested wildlife areas, which often results in the accidental death of wildlife including leopards. Along with leopard, other animals such as the jackals, nilgai (blue bull), mongoose and other wild animals are frequently killed on these highways. Leopards often stray into human habitation, such as along the Golf Course Road and Gurugram-Faridabad Road, as this whole area is part of Northern Aravalli leopard and wildlife corridor. As of June 2021, an average of 50,000 vehicles travel on the Faridabad-Gurugram Road.गुड़गांव-फरीदाबाद रोड पर बढ़ी टोल टैक्‍स की दरें, 75 रुपये तक बढ़ा टोल टैक्स
Haryana Express, 29 June 2021. There is demand to build wildlife crossing underpasses and overpasses on Faridabad-Gurugaon road, NH48 and KMPE. As of May 2020 on the 25 km long Gurgaon-Faridabad road, Gurgaon has installed lights on the 11 km stretch falling in its area, whereas Faridabad is yet to install lights,
Hindustan Times, 11 May 2020. making it harder for drivers to spot the wildlife on the road on the stretch of the road falling in the Faridabad district. In May 2020, the Detailed Project Report (DPR) and survey for the 32 km long Gurugaon-Faridabad metro link from Vatika CHowk in Gururam to Bata Chowk in Faridabad with 28 km elevated stretch along the Gurugaon-Faridabad Road was completed which will have 8 stations,Survey complete for Gurugram-Faridabad metro link
Times of India, 10 September 2020. this will reduce the vehicular traffic on the Gurugaon-Faridabad road in the sensitive wildlife area. "Wildlife SOS Transit Facility", an NGO based in Gopalpur village of Gurugram, was established with the help of Haryana Forests Department to create awareness about the wildlife conservation, rescue of trapped of injured wildlife, rehabilitation and release back into wildlife and providing permanent shelter to those which could not be released.Wildlife rescuve centre
Wildlife SOS Transit Facility. Haryana government has been running awareness camps in the villages on how to minimise the human-animal conflicts.

Gurugram Wildlife & Leopard Safari

Gurugram Wildlife Safari, world's largest wildlife safari outside Africa, is being jointly developed by the Haryana Govt and India's Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. It will be spread over 10,000 acre land, five times bigger than second largest 2,000 acres curated wildlife safari in Sharjah. Managed by the newly created Aravali Foundation, it will have 4 separate free-ranging zones for 4 big cats (leopards, tigers, lions, cheetas), bird park and aviary,

serpentarium A herpetarium is a zoological exhibition space for reptiles and amphibians, most commonly a dedicated area of a larger zoo. A herpetarium which specializes in snakes is an ophidiarium or serpentarium, which are more common as stand-alone entiti ...

, a large area for herbivore wildlife, zone for exotic animals and birds not native to India, underwater world

oceanarium An oceanarium can be either a marine mammal park, such as Marineland of Canada, or a large-scale Public aquarium, aquarium, such as the Lisbon Oceanarium, presenting an ocean habitat with marine (ocean), marine animals, especially large ocean dwe ...

, several climate-zone specific ( equatorial,

tropical The tropics are the regions of Earth surrounding the equator, where the sun may shine directly overhead. This contrasts with the temperate or polar regions of Earth, where the Sun can never be directly overhead. This is because of Earth's ax ...

, sub-tropical Indian coastal forests, and desert gardens), botanical gardens,

biome A biome () is a distinct geographical region with specific climate, vegetation, and animal life. It consists of a biological community that has formed in response to its physical environment and regional climate. In 1935, Tansley added the ...

s, nature trails, wildlife tourism zones, and visitors facilities.

Central Zoo Authority The Central Zoo Authority (CZA) is the body of the Government of India responsible for oversight of zoos. It is an affiliate member of the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA). The CZA was formed to bring Indian zoos up to internatio ...

(CZA) has granted approval. Two international companies have been shortlisted after the global invitation for the EOI (expression of interest) for designing, building and operating the park.Haryana: World's largest safari park to be developed in Gurugram, Nuh
Times of India, 29 Sept 2022. It will be completed within five years by 2027. It will be similar in concept to the Etawah Safari Park,इटावा सफारी पार्क की तर्ज पर गुरुग्राम में बनेगी लैपर्ड सफारी, चुनाव से पहले शुरू होगा काम
Jagran, 12 August 2019. is being implemented in 1000 acre city forest near sector 76 at Sakatpur and Garat Pur Bas villages in Aravalli hills of Gurugram, in September 2019 panchayat had already approved the transfer of panchayat common land to the wildlife department.Haryana to develop Leopard and Deer Safari scheme in Aravalli Hills
Daily Pioneer, 14 August 2019.
Hindustan Times, 19 September 2019.Residents oppose ‘illegal’ land transfer for Gurugram forest
India Times, 11 December 2019. Government is also developing a new lake in 10 acres natural depression of Gairatpur Bas 10 km from Rajiv Chowk on the Delhi-Gurgaon expressway by piping treated sewage water from the Behrampur sewage treatment plant (STP) in Sector 72 through a 3.5 km pipeline as the nearby

Damdama Lake Damdama reservoir in Sohna, near Gurugram city in Gurugram district in the Indian state of Haryana.Rajiv Tiwari"Delhi A Travel Guide" . Damdama Lake is a small lake in Haryana and was formed when a stone and earthen dam constructed by the Bri ...

dries up in summers and also needs rejuvenation.Govt plans 10-acre lake in foothills of Aravallis
Hindustan Times, 19 August 2019. Other leopard safaris in India are at

Sanjay Gandhi National Park Sanjay Gandhi National Park is a national park in Mumbai, Maharashtra. It was established in 1969 with its headquarters situated at Borivali. The 2400-year-old Kanheri caves, sculpted by monks out of the rocky basaltic cliffs, lie within the ...

in Mumbai,Sanjay Gandhi Park to have leopard safaris
28 December 2015. ''"Bengal Safari Park"'' at

Siliguri Siliguri (, ; ), also known as Shiliguri, is a major Tier ii cities in india, tier-II city in West Bengal. It forms the twin cities, Twin Cities with the neighbouring city of Jalpaiguri. The city spans areas of the Darjeeling district, Darjeel ...

near

Gorumara National Park Gorumara National Park (Pron: ˌgɔ:rʊˈmɑ:rə; ''Gorumara Jatio Uddan'') is a national park in northern West Bengal, India. Located in the Dooars region of the Himalayan foothills, it is a medium-sized park with grasslands and forests. Goruma ...

,Rare white tiger among three cubs born
Times of India, 20 May 2018. and in Gujarat at Surat district at Khodamba village of

Mandvi Mandvi is a beach town with municipality in the Kutch district, Kachchh district (Kutch) in the States and territories of India, Indian state of Gujarat. It was once a major port of the region and summer retreat for Maharao (king) of the Cutch ...

taluka with 35 leopards in 50 hectare as well as Dangs district at

Waghai Waghai is a town in the Dang District of the southern part of Gujarat state in India. And also Taluka of dang district. Waghai is about 32 km west of the district headquarters of Ahwa, and about 52 km north-west of the hill station ...

Taluka with 54 leopards in 35 hectares.Surat & Dangs Tourism push: Leopard safari parks, rescue centres in the offing
6 February 2019.

Conservation efforts

Legal and institutional

Legal framework - Natural Conservation Zones (NCZs)

In 2019, Haryana government passed the amendment to the

Punjab Land Alienation Act, 1900 The Punjab Land Alienation Act of 1900 was a piece of legislation introduced by the British Raj with the aim of limiting the transfer of land ownership in Punjab Province. It created an "agricultural tribes" category, the membership of which was ...

(PLPA), which had obtained ascent from the governor but has not yet been notified by the Haryana government, whence it is in limbo and has not officially become a law. This amendment remove the legal protection for the large forest areas which act as green lungs and buffer zone against pollution, thus further degrading Haryana's ecology, biodiversity, air quality, water table recharge rate. Haryana government submitted a proposal to " NCR Planning Board" (NCRPB) to reduce Haryana's Natural Conservation Zones (NCZs) by removing 60,000 acres of Aravalli land. After this Haryana's NCZ will decrease by 47% from 122,113.30 hectares to only 64,384.66 hectares. These forest lands proposed to be removed from the NCZ are mostly part of village common land, and after the legal NCZ status is removed these will become available for real estate construction and commercial sale. This is in violation of multiple guidelines of the

Supreme Court of India The Supreme Court of India is the supreme judiciary of India, judicial authority and the supreme court, highest court of the Republic of India. It is the final Appellate court, court of appeal for all civil and criminal cases in India. It also ...

which defines the forest by its natural definition. This also violates the NCRPB goal of limiting construction activities to mere 0.5% area of NCZ. NCRPB notification also clearly states that this original 122,113.30 hectares ecologically sensitive forest of

is a forest, ''"The major natural features, identified as environmentally sensitive areas, are the extension of Aravalli ridge in Rajasthan, Haryana and NCT-Delhi; forest areas; rivers and tributaries... major lakes and water bodies such as

Badkhal lake Badkhal Lake is a natural lake situated in Badkhal village near Faridabad, in the Indian state of Haryana, about 32 kilometers from the national capital of Delhi. Fringed by the hills of the Aravalli Range, this was a man-made embankment. Owing ...

Suraj Kund Surajkund is an ancient reservoir of the 10th century located on Southern Delhi Ridge of Aravalli range in Faridabad city of Haryana state about 8 km (5mi) from South Delhi. Surajkund (literally 'Lake of the Sun') is an artificial Kund ( ...

and Damdama in Haryana sub-region"''.Law changes bring Aravalli conservation to the fore
Hindustan Times, 22 December 2019.

Biodiversity Board

Haryana Biodiversity Board was established by the government in 2018 to protect and preserve the biodiversity of forests, flora and fauna in the state, specially in the biodiversity hotspots of Shivalik and Aravali hills that are under threat. Forests areas of the state were digitised with the help of

Haryana Space Applications Centre, Hisar Haryana Space Applications Centre, Hisar (HARSAC), a collaborator of ISRO, is a nodal agency for Remote Sensing and GIS applications of the Government of Haryana. It is located next to Centre for Plant Biotechnology (PCB) within the CCS Harya ...

and

ISRO The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO ) is India's national space agency, headquartered in Bengaluru, Karnataka. It serves as the principal research and development arm of the Department of Space (DoS), overseen by the Prime Minister o ...

. Assets and plants monitoring system for managing forests, nurseries, trees, etc. had been made online. To protect the environment 2,200 community self-help groups and 2,487 village biodiversity groups were formed and 25,000 women were trained in 2018. MoU were signed with

NHAI The National Highways Authority of India or NHAI () is an autonomous agency of the Government of India, set up in 1995 (Act 1988) and is responsible for management of a road network of over 50,000 km of National highways out of 1,32,499 ...

and

Indian Railways Indian Railways is a state-owned enterprise that is organised as a departmental undertaking of the Ministry of Railways (India), Ministry of Railways of the Government of India and operates India's national railway system. , it manages the fou ...

to plant trees along national highways and rail lines, and a policy has been formed to establish city forests. A 50,000 hectare self-help community herbal forest is being established in SHivalik hills with the guidance of Baba Ramdev's

Patanjali Yogpeeth Patanjali Yogpeeth is a yoga institute located in Haridwar, Uttarakhand, India. Founded in 2006 and named after the Rishi Patanjali, the purpose of the institute is to practice, research, and develop yoga and ayurveda. The institute is the flags ...

. Trap cameras were set up in

and 23 leopards were found. Endangered

eagle Eagle is the common name for the golden eagle, bald eagle, and other birds of prey in the family of the Accipitridae. Eagles belong to several groups of Genus, genera, some of which are closely related. True eagles comprise the genus ''Aquila ( ...

s were released in wild from the Jatayu Conservation Breeding Centre, Pinjore after successful breeding. Pipli and

Rohtak Rohtak () is a city and the administrative headquarters of the Rohtak district in the Indian state of Haryana. It lies north-west of New Delhi and south of the state capital Chandigarh on NH 9 (old NH 10). Rohtak forms a part of the Nationa ...

zoos were being modernised.Kirishi Samvad
, October 2018.

Water conservation entities

Haryana government has established the following: * Haryana Pond and Waste Water Management Authority (HPWMA), also called the Haryana Pond Authority (HPA) * Haryana Waste Resource Authority (HWRA))

Issue based initiatives

Green corridors

A 1,600 km long and 5 km wide The Great Green Wall of Aravalli green ecological corridor along Aravalli range from Gujarat to Delhi which will also connect to Shivalik hill range is being considered with planting of 1.35 billion (135 crore) new native trees over 10 years to combat the pollution, 51% of which is caused by the industrial pollution, 27% by vehicles, 8% by

crop burning Crop destruction is the deliberate destruction of crops or agricultural products to render it useless for consumption or processing. It can be made by burning, grinding, dumping into water, or application of chemicals. It should not be confused w ...

and 5% by Diwali fireworks.Want govt to build 1600 km green wall along Aravalli
Indian Express, 24 December 2019. There are no

s in Haryana, NCR or Delhi-Sariska Wildlife corridor, and there is a need for additional crossings, such as those needed at Delhi Mumbai Expressway.

Urban wildlife corridor in NCR

''NCR Wildlife Corridor'', also called ''Delhi Wildlife Corridor, will be jointly developed by Haryana and Delhi governments as India's first urban wildlife corridor by building underpasses to ensure safe passage for wild animals, especially leopards, who frequent the roads in the forested and hilly areas in Delhi, Gurgram, Faridabad and Nuh. Leopards are seen as far as Sultanpur metro depot, and Delhi government has deployed drones and installed wildlife cameras to track the leopards in that area, once trapped they are released in the Asola Bhatti Wildlife Sanctuary.Delhi Wildlife Corridor becomes the first of urban India
, Utkal Today, 1 July 2021. As of June 2021, it was in the planning phase.

Wetlands conservation and ground water recharge

In 2021, as per

NASA The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA ) is an independent agencies of the United States government, independent agency of the federal government of the United States, US federal government responsible for the United States ...

the rate of

groundwater depletion Overdrafting is the process of extracting groundwater beyond the equilibrium yield of an aquifer. Groundwater is one of the largest sources of fresh water and is found underground. The primary cause of groundwater depletion is the excessive pump ...

in India is 1 metre per year whereas in Haryana it is 3 metres per year. In 2021, as per Central Ground Water Authority (CGWA) data the

water table The water table is the upper surface of the phreatic zone or zone of saturation. The zone of saturation is where the pores and fractures of the ground are saturated with groundwater, which may be fresh, saline, or brackish, depending on the loc ...

in Haryana's 85

Community Development Block In India, a community development block (CD block) or simply Block is a sub-division of District, administratively earmarked for planning and development. In tribal areas, similar sub-divisions are called tribal development blocks (TD blocks). T ...

(CD Blocks) out of a total of 141 blocks was categorised in red category. In 2004, only 55 blocks were in red category, thus red zone blocks have increased by 30% in the last 17 years. 14 out of 22 districts of Haryana are in red zone. Haryana annually extracts 137% of its

groundwater Groundwater is the water present beneath Earth's surface in rock and Pore space in soil, soil pore spaces and in the fractures of stratum, rock formations. About 30 percent of all readily available fresh water in the world is groundwater. A unit ...

compared to its annual

groundwater recharge Groundwater recharge or deep drainage or deep percolation is a hydrologic process, where water moves downward from surface water to groundwater. Recharge is the primary method through which water enters an aquifer. This process usually occurs in ...

, whereas national average is only 63%. Main culprit it water intensive paddy crop, consequently Haryana government was aiming to reduce the area under paddy cultivation by 200,000 (2 lakh) in year 2021 alone through providing financial incentives, aggressive regulation, monitoring and people's participatory. India is the world's largest groundwater user by volume. Haryana's annual groundwater recharge from rain and canals is 10.15 billion cubic metres (bcm), 9.13 bcm is extractable (one cubic metre has 1,000 litres), annual groundwater extraction in 2021 was 12.50 bcm including 11.53 bcm for agricultural irrigation and 0.63 bcm for domestic and 0.34 bcm for industrial use. More groundwater is withdrawn in over half of Haryana than recharged each year, thus causing rapid continuous depletion of groundwater table. Haryana has initiated regular water audit and 1,700 piezometers were installed in critical red blocks for real-time monitoring of the groundwater table.Groundwater depletion in Haryana a cause of serious concern

mongabay Mongabay (mongabay.com) is an American conservation news web portal that reports on environmental science, energy, and green design, and features extensive information on tropical rainforests, including pictures and deforestation statistics f ...

, 19 July 2021. As of 2021, Haryana has initiated union government and

World Bank The World Bank is an international financial institution that provides loans and Grant (money), grants to the governments of Least developed countries, low- and Developing country, middle-income countries for the purposes of economic development ...

funded INR Rs 678 crore "Atal Bhujal Yojana" which aims to reduce groundwater depletion by 50% by 2025, this project will run in 1669 gram panchayats of 36 blocks in 14 districts. ''"The major objective of this scheme is to create hydrogeological data network of groundwater resources in Haryana and encourage creation of community institutions for the management of groundwater resources in the state."''Haryana govt aims to reduce speed of groundwater depletion by 50% in four years
Indian Express, 18 July 2021. On 1 November 2017,

Chief Minister of Haryana The chief minister of Haryana is the chief executive of the Indian state of Haryana. As per the Constitution of India, the governor is a state's ''de jure'' head, but '' de facto'' executive authority rests with the chief minister. Following ele ...

Manohar Lal Khattar Manohar Lal Khattar (born 5 May 1954) is an Indian politician who has been serving as the Minister of Power and Minister of Housing and Urban Affairs in the central Modi government since June 2024. A prominent leader of the Bharatiya Janata P ...

announced that

will form the Haryana Pond and Waste Water Management Authority (also called the ''Haryana Pond Authority'' (HPA), see also Haryana Waste Resource Authority (HWRA)) to rejuvenate and manage 14,000 ponds (colloquially called ''"johad"'') in Haryana by digging the silt out every year. This includes development of 50 to 60 lakes in National Capital Region falling within the Haryana state."Haryana to develop 50-60 small lakes, water bodies in NCR: Manohar Lal Khattar"

Indian Express ''The Indian Express'' is an English-language India, Indian daily newspaper founded in 1932 by P. Varadarajulu Naidu. It is headquartered in Noida, owned by the Indian Express Limited, ''Indian Express Group''. It was later taken over by Ramnat ...

, 1 November 2017."Haryana to constitute pond management authority "

Business Standard ''Business Standard'' is an Indian English-language daily edition newspaper published by Business Standard Private Limited, also available in Hindi. Founded in 1975, the newspaper covers the Indian economy, infrastructure, international busi ...

, 1 November 2017. 2019

Atal Bhujal Yojana Atal Bhujal Yojana (or, Atal Jal, Atal Groundwater Scheme or Atal Water) is a groundwater management scheme launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the 95th birth anniversary of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, on 25 December 2 ...

(Atal groundwater scheme), a 5 years (2020-21 to 2024-25) scheme costing INR 6 billion (US$85 million) for managing demand side with village panchayat level water security plans entailing johad rejuvenation (wetland) and

, was approved for implementation in 8,350 water-stressed villages across 7 states, including

Rajasthan Rajasthan (; Literal translation, lit. 'Land of Kings') is a States and union territories of India, state in northwestern India. It covers or 10.4 per cent of India's total geographical area. It is the List of states and union territories of ...

Gujarat Gujarat () is a States of India, state along the Western India, western coast of India. Its coastline of about is the longest in the country, most of which lies on the Kathiawar peninsula. Gujarat is the List of states and union territories ...

Madhya Pradesh Madhya Pradesh (; ; ) is a state in central India. Its capital is Bhopal and the largest city is Indore, Indore. Other major cities includes Gwalior, Jabalpur, and Sagar, Madhya Pradesh, Sagar. Madhya Pradesh is the List of states and union te ...

, Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka, and Maharashtra.Centre approves Rs 6,000 crore scheme to manage groundwater
Times of India, 24 December 2019.

Environmental pollution of rivers

In July 2021, during the multi-department Haryana "River Rejuvenation Committee" (RRC) meeting the ''Haryana State

Pollution Pollution is the introduction of contaminants into the natural environment that cause harm. Pollution can take the form of any substance (solid, liquid, or gas) or energy (such as radioactivity, heat, sound, or light). Pollutants, the component ...

Control Board'' (HSPCB) informed that it has formed district-level committees to stop illegal discharge into Yamuna and Ghaggar rivers. Action taken and status was reported as follows:Districtlevel teams to check illegal sewage discharge in Haryana
Hindustan Times, 20o July 2021. *

catchment ** Sewerage discharge: Of 155 locations identified with 100.5 millions of litres daily (MLD) sewage discharge, 90 locations with 48.15 MLD discharge have been diverted, 47 locations were in work-in-progress (WIP), and for remaining 18 locations work was yet to commence. The WIP sewerage laying were Yamunanagar, Palwal, Rohtak, Faridabad, Karnal and Bahadurgarh. ** Industrial discharge: Of 126 locations identified, work was pending for 34. Most of industrial water pollution is from Panipat. *

catchment ** Sewerage discharge: Of 56 locations identified with 42.25 MLD sewage discharge, only 28 locations with 21.08 MLD discharge have been diverted, 13 locations were in work-in-progress (WIP), and for remaining 14 locations work was yet to commence. The WIP sewerage laying were Ambala, Kaithal, Jakhal Mandi, and Hisar. ** Industrial discharge: Of 255 locations identified, work was pending for 69.

References

External links

Haryana Forest Department
{{Districts of Haryana Government departments of Haryana Forestry in India Environment of Haryana