Aravali forest areas in Haryana get signage, helpline to curb illegal waste dumping

Gurgaon: With illegal dumping continuing to plague forest areas in the Aravalis, the Haryana forest department has installed multiple warning signboards across vulnerable stretches in Faridabad and rolled out a helpline to encourage citizens to report violations.The newly installed boards, placed along key roadside patches in Faridabad and entry points into forest areas, clearly state that the land falls under a protected forest zone and that dumping of any kind of waste is prohibited. They warn of legal action under forest and environmental laws and prominently display a contact number for reporting offences. With the helpline now active, the department is seeking public participation to plug enforcement gaps. Officials said patrolling has been stepped up in identified areas. Inputs received through the helpline will be verified on the ground and necessary action, including penalties and removal of waste, will be initiated.The move follows the recent clearance of six identified dumping hotspots where construction debris and municipal waste accumulated inside forest land in Faridabad. Officials said these locations were repeatedly used for illegal disposal due to easy access from nearby roads.Faridabad divisional forest officer Jhalkar Uyake told TOI, “Dumping is one of the biggest threats to these forest areas. We want people to immediately flag such activities so that our teams can respond quickly. Waste dumping alters habitat, contaminates soil and water and destroys native vegetation. It also attracts animals towards garbage, especially food waste, which changes their natural behaviour. We have set up signages and a helpline number.”This shift in animal movement has direct implications for road safety along the Gurgaon-Faridabad Road and Pali Road, where forest patches run alongside high-speed traffic corridors. Animals drawn to dumped waste often stray onto roads, increasing the risk of collisions.Wildlife expert and ecologist Sunil Harsana told TOI, “Despite repeated clean-up drives, dumping continues to resurface because forest edges are treated as easy disposal points. This is not just illegal — it is dangerous. Garbage inside forest areas attracts wildlife towards roads, and we have already lost several animals, including leopards, to vehicle collisions along the Gurgaon-Faridabad and Pali roads. The signboards clearly state that this is protected forest land and the helpline is meant to ensure citizens can immediately report dumping so we can act before it leads to further habitat damage or wildlife deaths.”The region has already seen multiple wildlife deaths, particularly of leopards. At least seven leopards have been killed in vehicle collisions on the Gurgaon-Faridabad Road and adjoining highways since 2015, according to official records and reports. Recent incidents include a two-year-old female leopard found dead in a suspected hit-and-run in 2025, while earlier cases include leopard cub deaths in 2015 and 2019 on the same stretch.Wildlife experts say such repeated roadkills are a consequence of fragmented habitats and increasing human interference. The Aravalis in Gurgaon and Faridabad form a critical leopard corridor, but highways cutting through these forests, combined with dumping and habitat degradation, are pushing animals closer to roads.Officials underlined that dumping in notified forest areas is illegal as it amounts to encroachment and degradation of forest land, in violation of provisions of the Indian Forest Act and environmental norms. Beyond legality, they said, the ecological damage is severe.