The State-level Wildlife Week Celebration 2025 was inaugurated on Thursday in the Aravalli region near the Ram Mandir complex, Manesar, with a strong call for collective action to conserve biodiversity and protect the environment.
Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Bhupender Yadav, graced the event as Chief Guest, while Haryana Environment, Forest and Wildlife Minister, Rao Narbir Singh, presided over the function.
Addressing the gathering, Yadav urged Gurugram residents to dedicate one hour every Sunday morning to the Green Aravalli Campaign. He stressed that consistent community participation could significantly boost greenery, reduce pollution, and transform Gurugram into a model green city both in India and globally.
“This mission is not just about tree plantation, but about building a bond of responsibility between society and nature for the well-being of present and future generations,” he said.
Highlighting the importance of preserving forests, Minister Rao Narbir Singh said, “The Aravallis are among the oldest mountain ranges in the world. The survival of wildlife depends on forests, and any imbalance disturbs the ecological stability of the planet. It is the duty of every citizen to protect animals, birds, and forests.”
Referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam’ initiative, he emphasised the need to nurture trees after plantation.
As part of the celebration, dignitaries, students, villagers, and participants planted 750 saplings at the newly developed ‘Namo Van’ and launched a tree-plantation drive spread across 500 acres. All participants pledged to care for the saplings.
The event also marked the inauguration of the Aravalli Species Nursery at Manesar, envisioned as a hub for conserving and propagating native plant species for replantation across the mountain range under the Green Aravalli Campaign. The initiative seeks to expand green cover, restore wildlife habitats, and preserve biodiversity.
A series of publications on Haryana’s biodiversity and environmental conservation were released jointly by Bhupender Yadav and Rao Narbir Singh.
Wildlife volunteers, individuals, and forest officials who made outstanding contributions were felicitated, while winners of awareness campaigns run by the Forest Department received prizes in recognition of their efforts.
