Aravalli Leopard Corridor Splinters as Development, Landfill Fires and Legal Rollbacks Erode NCR’s Ecological Lifeline

Once, the contiguous scrub-wooded hills between Gurugram and Faridabad allowed wildlife, particularly leopards, jackals, porcupines, jungle cats and other species, to move undisturbed across what has been described as a Northern Aravalli leopard wildlife corridor.

But in recent years, this corridor has been sliced by a combination of infrastructure, real-estate expansion and neglect. Major roads such as the Gurugram–Faridabad highway cut through forested ridges, fragmenting habitats. Meanwhile, large housing projects, high-rises and farm-house complexes have eaten into former forest land, often in areas that still harbour important biodiversity.

From Hills to Landfill and Condos

One of the most glaring examples of this transformation is the Bandhwari Landfill, an enormous waste-dump built on Aravalli terrain along the Gurugram–Faridabad road. The landfill receives roughly 2,000 tonnes of solid waste every day from both cities, and has witnessed over 70 fire incidents between March and June 2024 alone. Forest officials confirmed in letters dated May and August 2024 that woodland areas and water bodies near Bandhwari had been polluted with waste and leachate, endangering species including leopards, jackals, and rusty-spotted cats.

Locals report toxic smells, contaminated groundwater, and repeated fires, all symptoms of a landfill that has turned a sensitive ecosystem into a dumping ground. At the same time, developers, enticed by the "Aravalli view" have been putting up high-rises and gated communities in places that just a few years ago were deep forest.

Sohail Hashmi, a historian and famous chronicler of Delhi whom we met at a recent art exhibition, warns, "What we are witnessing is the unravelling of an ecological backbone for the entire Delhi-NCR. When roads and high-rise towers cut through hillside terrain, they don't just take away forest land, they sever natural passages that centuries of biodiversity depend on. This is not merely a developmental challenge; it's a planning failure."

The result is not only is the forest ecosystem losing land, but what remains is fragmented and degraded. Connected habitats vanish, wildlife loses water and cover, and the corridor ceases to function.

Wildlife Under Pressure

At least 22 artificial watering holes have been established across Bandhwari, Sohna, Raisina Hills, Faridabad and Gwalpahari, yet environmentalists insist these are woefully inadequate and frequently run dry. Encroachments, habitat loss and dried-up water sources are pushing wildlife out of the hills and into villages and towns.

Vaishali Kumar, an environmentalist who leads a Aravalli environmental walk every weekend, observes the change first-hand, “We used to spot leopards, hyenas, jackals and countless bird species along this stretch. Now, watering holes have gone dry, forest patches have vanished, and waste is dumped with impunity. When the forest can't sustain its wildlife, the animals wander often straight into human habitations."

In January 2025, a male leopard entered a residential complex in Sector 33, Sohna near Gurugram, prompting a five-hour rescue operation. In October 2025, a leopard entered an auto hub in Manesar, the fifth such rescue in the year. Such incidents have become increasingly common, all thanks to the recent developments sprouting all around the foothills. Yet many residents who moved into these newly developed areas now express alarm at the very wildlife whose territory they occupy.

Amit Sinha, a resident of a recently built high-rise on Sohna Road, Gurugram, whom we recently talked to at a meetup, told us in a cantankerous tone and reflected the irony, "Yes, we were told living here gives us a view of the Aravallis. But now they say we must be careful, leopards come close at night. Funny, isn't it? We moved here because of the hills and now we're blamed for disturbing the wilderness."

A Crossroads for the Aravallis

Until recently, much of the Aravalli forest belt was shielded under protective laws. The land was notified under the Punjab Land Preservation Act, 1900, and treated as forest land under the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980, thereby forbidding non-forest uses such as real-estate or mining.

But on 20 November 2025, the Supreme Court accepted a new uniform definition of the Aravalli Hills, requiring a landform to have an elevation of at least 100 metres above local relief to qualify for protection under the Aravalli framework. This move will exclude over 90 per cent of the range from protection, enabling large-scale mining.

Dr Ravi Chopra, a senior scientist, is unequivocal in his assessment, "The Supreme Court's November order signalling acceptance of a narrow definition for Aravalli hills has gutted legal protections for the crucial but lower-lying ridges. Without urgent corrective measures, including revoking that definition, restoring legal safeguards and clearing encroachments, this corridor's days are numbered."

This erasure on paper opens up vast areas for mining, construction and urban development, undermining conservation efforts just when the corridor was under maximum pressure.

The Aravalli stretch between Gurugram and Faridabad stands today at a crossroads: pushed to the brink by abuse, neglect and regulatory rollback. Once a vital breathing lung for the entire NCR, it is now being eroded piece by piece—by roads, by concrete, by garbage, and by design. If swift and sustained action is not taken, the wildlife corridor may soon exist only in memory.