From Wasteland to Wonderland: how people’s movement transformed a 380-acre mining site into urban forest

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In the hustle and bustle of this suburb bordering India’s capital New Delhi, a small group of passionate people come together under the banner of ‘I Am Gurgaon’ to create something not thought before.

What this group saw, was a wasteland, a mining site for 40 years, and... they dared to dream. These 'I am Gurgaon,' members collaborated with government and corporate entities of this satellite town, and established a partnership to rebuild this 380 acres of land. They approached the municipal corporation with a visionary proposal transforming the area into:

• Butterfly park
• Herbal garden
• Rock garden
• Forest land

In 2004, India’s apex court banned mining activities within 25 kilometers of Delhi, and hope dawned for this place which was once ecologically scarred due to years of mining and stone crushing. Planting duties were handed over to the Haryana Forest Development Corporation.

Today, this park is home to over 90,000 trees, over 160 bird species, and countless other forms of life.

If you look closely, you can still find traces of the past... of mining of quartzite, sand, and mica, but now... it's a city of forests.

But it wasn’t all smooth sailing...

After the forests flourished, in 2018 a plan was drafted to connect a highway from Jaipur to a key road in Gurugaon cutting right through the heart of the park. This would have killed the forest.

1. The forest that generates 7.07% of Delhi-NCR’s oxygen demand.
2. The forest that sequesters 9,107 tonnes of carbon.
3. The forest that contains species that store the most amount of Co2 (Butea monosperma, Terminalia arjuna)
4. The Forest that acts as a green barrier for the capital city.

But the members of ‘I Am Gurgaon’ wouldn’t let that happen. Over 1,500 people stood up and said...
'NO ROAD THROUGH ARAVALLI BIODIVERSITY PARK'

And just like that, the plan was shelved.

These revolutionary 'urban rewilders' showed what a people’s movement can achieve. They looked at a land stripped of life and poured their hearts into bringing it back.

Recently, this park received a new honour. The International Union for Conservation of Nature recognized it as the first Other Effective Area-Based Conservation Measures site in India.

Officials say the OECM tag, does not bring any legal or financial implications, but designates the area as a biodiversity hotspot on the international map. They get benefits in terms of reputation.

So, these revolutionary ‘urban rewilders’ showed what a people's movement can achieve.Turning a once barren landscape into a vibrant green jewel.

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