JAIPUR: Tension gripped Jaipur on Saturday as police detained four individuals, two student protesters and two environmental activists, during a demonstration against tree-cutting in the Dol Ka Baadh forest. Among those taken into custody was Ashutosh Ranka, a leading face of the "Save Dol Ka Baadh" campaign to save a vital green lung on the outskirts of Rajasthan's capital city.
The detentions came shortly after labourers and machinery sent by the Rajasthan government arrived to begin forest clearing for a controversial government-backed construction project.
Activists claim the state government plans to remove nearly 100 acres of dense forest to construct the ‘Prime Minister’s Unity Mall’, a project being advanced under the name of tribal welfare. The land is also slated for other structures, including a Rajasthan Mandapam, residential complexes, and a revived Fintech Park.
Dol Ka Baadh, which has evolved into a thriving forest over the last thirty years, is considered a critical ecological buffer for South Jaipur. The area contains over 2,400 fully grown trees, dozens of medicinal herb species, and native wildlife, making it a rare urban green zone. Locals often refer to it as the region’s "green lungs."
The land’s legal history has been fraught with controversy. In 1979, 105 acres in Dol Ka Baadh were officially notified for industrial development. By 1988, the Rajasthan State Industrial Development and Investment Corporation (RIICO) had allotted the land to the Diamond and Gem Development Corporation Limited to develop a Gem Industrial Estate.
However, the company failed to initiate construction within the stipulated timeframe, leading RIICO to cancel the allotment in 1996. A year later, the company challenged this decision in the Rajasthan High Court and temporarily regained control of the land. But in 2013, the Supreme Court overturned the High Court ruling, restoring ownership to RIICO, a move seen as pivotal in shaping the area’s current legal standing.
This is not the first time the forest has faced developmental threats. In 2021, plans by the then-Congress government to build a Fintech Park triggered massive opposition, leading to a citywide “Save Dol Ka Baadh” movement that included citizens, conservationists, and celebrities.
Adding a political layer to the controversy is the fact that Dol Ka Baadh lies within the constituency of Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma. Critics point out that several BJP leaders, including current Deputy Chief Minister Diya Kumari, had previously called for the forest’s preservation when in opposition. Kumari once even proposed a biodiversity park on the same land.
Further fueling criticism, Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently condemned forest destruction in Telangana for an IT Park, raising questions about the inconsistency of forest conservation policies when his name is now associated with a similar project in Rajasthan.