IEP Chandigarh, September 29
Haryana is all set to develop the world’s largest jungle safari park on an area of 10,000 acres in the Aravalli mountain range of Gurugram and Nuh districts. This project will be the largest such project in the world.
Currently, the largest curated safari park outside Africa is in Sharjah which was opened in February 2022 on an area of about 2000 acres. The proposed Aravalli Park would be 5 times more this size and it would include a large herpetarium, aviary/bird park, four zones for big cats, a large area for herbivores, an area for exotic animal birds, an underwater world, nature trails, visitors, tourism zones, botanical gardens, biomes, equatorial, tropical, coastal, desert, etc.
In this regard, Union Minister for Forest, Environment and Climate Change, Sh. Bhupender Yadav, Haryana Chief Minister, Sh. Manohar Lal along with the delegation has visited Sharjah Jungle Safari.
On visiting there, the Chief Minister said that the NCR region of Haryana has immense potential to be developed into a jungle safari. After the implementation of the Jungle Safari scheme, not only the tourism in the State will get a big boost but it will also provide ample employment opportunities to the local people.
“The Jungle Safari project of Haryana would be a joint project of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Government of India and the Government of Haryana. Under a scheme, the central government will also provide funds to Haryana for this project,” said Sh. Manohar Lal.
He further informed that an international EOI was floated for the project and two companies with international experience in designing and operating such facilities have been shortlisted. The said companies will now compete in an international design competition for the designing, overseeing and operating of the park. An Aravalli Foundation will be set up which will manage the project, said Sh. Manohar Lal.
The Chief Minister said that the Central Zoo Authority has done an evaluation study of the area for this and has agreed upon for the technical feasibility of setting up such a park.
He said that on one hand developing jungle safari would help in preserving this mountain range while on the other a large number of people from Delhi and adjoining areas would come here for tourism, which would create ample employment opportunities for the local people. Furthermore, villagers in the surrounding villages will be benefited from the Home Stay Policy, said the Chief Minister.
Notably, the Aravalli mountain range is a cultural heritage where many species of birds, wild animals, butterflies, etc. are found. As per a survey conducted a few years ago, 180 species of birds, 15 species of mammals, 29 species of aquatic animals and reptiles and 57 species of butterflies exist in the Aravalli mountain range.
