12 May 2020 | TNN
Reclaiming Our Environmental Heritage: Gurugram’s Drive Towards Sustainability
A decade ago, the ‘lungs of Gurugram’ - Aravali Biodiversity Park - was a mining pit, filled with mud and ‘malba’ as it chugged towards becoming a millennium city replete with towering glass buildings and construction hubs. Today, it is a 392-acre lush green forest, home to hundreds of native plant species and birds. Made possible by an NGO, IAmGurgaon, their efforts also include restoring wastelands and degraded forests in the city, setting examples of how using green infrastructure helps mitigate climate change in urban areas.
Co-founded in 2009 by Latika Thukral, Swanzal Kak Kapoor and Ambika Agarwal, IAmGurgaon is an organisation run by eco-sensitive Gurugram residents, who were perturbed by the city’s daily descent into chaos on its journey towards development at the cost of ecological degradation. Today, the NGO uses a multi-faceted approach to deal with environmental concerns that plague Gurugram, including waste management, wasteland reclamation, and development of urban forests. Their overarching aim is to conserve biodiversity within the city.
The Origin Story
In 2012, IAmGurgaon was tasked with restoration of what now is the Aravali Biodiversity Park (ABDP). After great research, they figured out that sourcing the right kind of species was of key value. The site then was overrun by Prosopis juliflora, a destructive non-native species that was removed. “We planted only trees and shrubs that are native to the Aravalli range, and made a list of 200 species. Areas were fenced off to protect the saplings from being eaten by small animals and a dedicated water regime is followed to ensure survival and longevity of the plants. Regular mulching helps insulate the soil from extreme temperatures and loss of moisture. It also suppresses the growth of weeds,” explains Namrita Chaudhri, a member of an all-women core team that works tirelessly, on a voluntary basis, throughout the year.
