Relevance: GS-III (Environment; Conservation), GS-II (Governance)

The Proposal
A large safari park was proposed in the Aravalli hills near the National Capital Region to boost tourism and jobs. Conservation groups warn that the ridge is a water-recharge spine and a wildlife corridor already under stress.

What is at stake

• Habitat fragmentation: roads, fences and noise can block movement of leopards, hyenas and ungulates.
  
• Water security: the rocky hills store rain; heavy construction reduces infiltration.
  
• Legal safeguards: land patches fall under the Forest Conservation law, court orders on Aravalli protection, and local master-plan restrictions; a full environmental impact assessment and carrying-capacity study are essential.
  
• Fire and invasives: tourism pressure can worsen litter, fires and spread of prosopis and lantana.
  

A better approach

• Redesign as a low-impact conservation reserve with guided nature trails, quiet zones and cap on daily visitors.
  
• Restore native forests, check-dams and wildlife passages; remove invasives.
  
• Involve local communities through homestays and eco-guiding; share revenues transparently.
  
• Independent monitoring of groundwater, noise and wildlife movement; publish data.
  

Related Schemes
Compensatory afforestation rules, eco-sensitive zone guidelines, wildlife corridor planning under State Boards for Wildlife, and gram panchayat forest committees.

Exam hook 

Prelims practice
Which statement is correct about the Aravalli hills?
(a) They are volcanic in origin and younger than the Himalaya.
(b) They are among the world’s oldest fold mountains and act as a groundwater recharge zone.
(c) They form the main watershed for the Brahmaputra basin.
(d) They are a chain of coral limestone hills.
Answer: (b)

One-line wrap: Make the Aravalli a living classroom—restore first, then allow small, quiet nature tourism that pays for protection.