Haryana Forest and Wildlife Minister Rao Narbir Singh on Friday said work on the first phase of the 10,000-acre jungle safari in the Aravalis would begin soon, adding that the project would be equipped with world-class facilities.

Mr. Rao made the remark after meeting Union Power and Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Manohar Lal and Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav in Delhi to discuss the project.

The project would give a new identity to the National Capital Region in the direction of a green and sustainable environment, said the Minister, adding that it would be developed in four phases.

‘Green tourism’

“Of the total project area, 2,500 acres will be developed in the first phase. The project will play an important role in promoting green tourism as well as conservation of wildlife,” said Mr. Rao.

With the aim of equipping the project with world-class facilities and adopting the best model in its construction, the Minister said that he, along with Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini and Mr. Lal, had recently visited the ‘Vantara’ Jungle Safari in Jamnagar, Gujarat.

This visit provided important support in understanding the technical, structural, and conservation-based aspects of the project, he said.

BJP’s poll promise

The project, which is spread across Gurugram and Nuh districts of the State, was one of the poll promises made by the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party in its manifesto last year.

However, it has faced stiff opposition ever since it was first mooted. A group of 37 retired Indian Forest Service officers had written a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi earlier this year demanding that the project be scrapped. They argued that the project’s aim was to simply increase tourist footfall and not conserve the mountain range.