Prosopis juliflora (vilayati kikar) was planted across the ranges to make them greener in the 90s, but the exercise came at the cost of indigenous species in the Aravalis that could not compete with it. Experts say it’s high time vilayati kikar was replaced with native plants, that naturally complement the ecosystem of the hills in a phased manner, and the state needs to show an urgency to act
During the Nineties, the forest department decided to plant vilayati kikar in the Aravalis in a massive drive that was funded by the European Union. But Prosopis juliflora had first started growing in these parts a century ago, when it was brought by the British from Mexico.
This exotic species wiped out some native plants (and some animals, too). And while it survived very well in the rocky terrain, with little care and even less water, it also checked the growth of indigenous trees.
Naturalist and author Pradip Krishen calls this invasion of the vilayati kikar a “big” disaster. “I know of foresters and others who take up cudgels for Prosopis juliflora on the grounds that it provides charcoal makers with a livelihood and small animals with habitat and shelter. But that doesn’t compensate for the fact that it has edged out native species of trees, shrubs and grasses wherever it has been planted,” Krishen said.
“All over the world — in South Africa and other countries in tropical Africa, in Australia and southeast Asia — this tree is among the banned species that is ruthlessly uprooted and eradicated because of the ecological damage that it has wrought. India is still planting it. That is shameful and must stop.”
Krishen says as many as 30 species of trees have been lost on the Central Ridge in Delhi due to vilayati kikar. “If you go to the Central Ridge in Delhi, where Prosopis juliflora has almost completely taken over, you will find today only a handful of native species that have survived the competition from Prosopis juliflora,” he points out.
The case for indigenous flora
According to experts, native plant life in the Aravalis depends on soil depth, moisture and terrain, but each species has a
critical role to play in the environment.
“A particular kind of vegetation is found on rocky terrain with thin soil. The vegetation in areas that have deep soil and good runoff is different,” says R P Balwan, former conservator of forests, Gurgaon circle.
Dhau (Anogeissus pendula), dhak (Butea monosperma) and salai (Boswellia serrata), he explains, are found on dry rocky slopes while kadam (Mitragyna parvifolia), bistendu (Diospyros cordifolia) and basa (Albizia odoratissima) are found in valleys where there’s more soil depth and increased water runoff from hills.
“The plants in valleys retain water, and thereby help in recharging groundwater and preventing droughts. Dhau helps in regulating moisture level in the atmosphere and is probably the only species that can grow on rocky slopes,” adds Balwan.
The economies of villages big and small, in the foothills of the Aravalis, depend on indigenous flora for cattle fodder, dry fuel, wood and thatch (for huts), medicinal plants, gum, water, and
fresh air. “The Aravali ranges, with their thick, dry deciduous tropical woods, present not only an enchanting picture, but support the economic base for local communities settled along these ranges,” says K K
Yadav, professor at
Amity University who has carried out studies on the hills.
Dhau, for example, is unlike any other tree. It has an extraordinary ability to prosper on the rocky slopes, where rainwater runs off quickly. Its leaves make for excellent animal fodder, while tannins from the bark (and leaves) are used to make sheepskin whiter. Besides, the tree has medicinal uses.
Restoration no easy task
The forest department feels regeneration of Dhau and other native species is extremely difficult, but experts blame the spread of Prosopis Juliflora for stunting the process of renewal. “While the regeneration of native species is not impossible, it is not simple due to very shallow soil in the Aravalis,” explains Vinod Kumar, additional chief principal conservator of forests, Haryana.
“Mining that took place in the Aravalis for a very long time led to massive degradation of the range. Also, soil erosion led to reduction in soil depth. These factors make regeneration difficult. Wherever there is some soil depth, we have to enclose the area for the growth of native trees, to stop grazing and other activities,” Kumar adds.
C R Babu, professor emeritus at the Centre for Environmental Management of Degraded Ecosystems, Delhi University, advises, “The only way forward is natural regeneration and eco-restoration, by replacing Prosopis Juliflora with native species in a phased manner. Both
Yamuna Biodiversity Park and the Aravali Biodiversity Park are best examples where Prosopis Juliflora has been replaced with indigenous species.” Yet, it’s also true that planting of this imported species has led to an increase in green cover across the Aravalis, helping protect a range vulnerable to encroachment and soil erosion. “We can’t deny the role of native species, but at the same time, we can’t make a blanket statement that Prosopis Juliflora should immediately be removed,” Kumar says.
Corruption the bigger evil
Krishen says the Haryana government and the forest department need to educate themselves about what constitutes a forest, the diversity of native species, and also the different kinds of habitat. “It (the govt) then needs to organise a massive ‘re-wilding’ effort, but I know, even when I’m saying this, that this is a vain hope because this is not how the forest department thinks, nor is it the way the Haryana government is inclined,” he says.
The collusion between builder lobbies and construction companies, he adds, shouldn’t distract from the task at hand. “I don’t think it’s merely a matter of pointing out what needs to be done — what needs to be done is for some basic sanity to be restored and for corruption to be rooted out even before we try and uproot Prosopis juliflora.”
Next: Aravalis’
wildlife corridor
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