Haryana Touts Aravalli Safari Park as Conservation Initiative, Not Death Knell

In October 2025, the government of Haryana submitted an affidavit to the Supreme Court defending its plan to develop a curated jungle safari park in the ecologically sensitive Aravalli region. The state claims the land proposed for the project has been "mined in the past" and is "highly degraded," with "scrub vegetation" and a "crown cover" of less than 40% in most places.

Haryana argues that the safari park will actually be a "conservation initiative" for the Aravallis, as the area will be closed off with a boundary wall to prevent the "highly prone" encroachments and "biotic interference" it currently faces. However, the petitioners challenging the proposal - five retired senior Indian Forest Service officers and the environmental rights collective People for Aravallis - have argued that the project prioritizes commercial interests over restoring the region, which is "Delhi-NCR's only barrier against desertification, a critical water recharge zone, pollution sink, climate regulator and wildlife habitat."

The state has claimed the proposed park "has no commercial objective" and "no relation to real estate projects," as construction activities have been restricted in the Aravallis. Haryana also says the "corridor of naturally occurring wild animals will not be affected" and the park will focus on "education, research and awareness creation along with ecological restoration" of the degraded area.