Municipal Corporation of Gurgaon (MCG) has often been at the receiving end for the concrete jungle that the Millennium City resembles. But now, acknowledging the importance of green areas, the civic body has come up with a plan to build a 160-acre biodiversity park in DLF Phase-III that will not only change the view of the area but also reinforce the ecology of Gurgaon.

``The project, which will cost around Rs 60 crore, will re-establish the local Aravali ecology and create a multifacet community resource. We will promote the development of green spaces that utilize native plants and will attempt to create a balance between development and ecological conservation though this park,'' said a senior Municipal Corporation of Gurgaon official.

The officials said development in Gurgaon has often come up at the cost of ecology and with the help of this project they hope to stem the loss of plant and animal species. MCG officials said the park would have amphitheatre, joggers path, children's park, botanical nursery, meditation grove and culture markers among other features.

Work on the fence the prop osed park has already been started.MCG believes because the park site is at the entrance to Gurg a o n , with an u n d eve l oped eastern edge, it enjoys a highly advantageous location. ``Its visibility and local linkages provide an ideal opportunity to develop it as an ecological and recreational amenity for the city's residents,'' said an official of the civic body. Physiographically, the site corresponds to the kohi habitat, an ecotone of Delhi that is characterized by rocky outcrops and thorny open-canopied vegetation.

Source: Times Of India By Sumi Sukanya A GREEN ISLAND IN CONCRETE GURGAON SOON