For 17-year-old Ravikant Sinha, who moved to Gurgaon five years ago, the time he and his friends went on a morning run on the Aravalli trails near Mangar last September is one of his best memories. “The whole area is so clean and calm that you feel like you have been transported to some hill station. It’s unimaginable that such a place exists within such a busy city,” says Ravikant. Ever since Gurgaon started evolving into the Millennium City as we know it today, residents have complained that large pockets of green land have been sacrificed to build residential and commercial properties. In the vast concrete jungle that is Gurgaon, the Biodiversity Park in the north and the Aravalli foothills in the east are the only green areas left. The Aravalli trails, close to Mangar, give fitness-conscious Gurugrammers a green area for running, cycling, and walking. The trails host several trail runs and cycling events every year and is a popular spot for walking and cycling groups too. However, all that is at risk now.If the Haryana government has its way, the 118-year-old Punjab Land Preservation Act (PLPA), the law that bars construction activity in large sections of the Aravallis, will soon be amended. According to reports, the amendment bill has been approved by the Cabinet and is likely to be tabled in the forthcoming assembly session. The amendment will take areas that have been notified under a master plan from under the ambit of the PLPA. That would mean that the Aravallis, including the trail in Gurgaon, will no longer be preserved areas and will be open for construction.Needless to say, the sports and fitness community of Gurgaon isn’t too happy with this development. They say that the potential destruction of such an important green area of the city is nothing short of an injustice. Gaurav Makkar, an Ultraman finisher and Ironman-certified triathlon coach, says, “As humans, we want to be outdoors. When we shift from running on the treadmill to running outdoors, we immediately feel fresher and better. It’s in our nature and this trail in the Aravallis is the only spot in all of Gurgaon where you can go for long-distance runs. If this will be taken away from us, most long-distance runners won’t have much to look forward to.”Over the years, the trail has hosted several large-scale running and cycling events as well, which have seen participation from several hundred Gurugrammers.Participants say that those events are the highlight of Gurgaon’s running calendar as they stand out from among the city’s countless marathons. Triathlete Abhishek Mishra says, “Every year, we have trail runs and triathlons in the area, and runners look forward to it all year. That’s because we get a chance to run in the city every week but rarely do we get events in such a picturesque area. If there are 50 marathons in Gurgaon in a year, only two-three happen in the trails. They are special, a lot of runners are only there because of how picturesque it is.” Sector 67 resident Anita Yadav, who goes for walks and runs to the trail regularly, says, “When you want to run or walk, you want to get away from the shor of the city. That is why this place is so popular among the running community here.”The fitness junkies of Gurgaon say that apart from the obvious scenic beauty and being a relief from the city’s hustle-bustle, the Aravallis also give them the feeling of being closer to nature. MG Road resident and avid cyclist Adil Nargolwala says, “The place is Gurgaon’s lung. It gives you oxygen and biodiversity, too, as it is home to several wild animals. Running or cycling there is therapeutic because you feel connected to nature. Only two weeks ago, I went for a cycle ride there and encountered camels on the trail. Imagine meeting camels in Gurgaon while you are cycling. That trail is important to us and we should protect it at all costs.” Cyclists say that there isn’t any dearth of places in Gurgaon which the authorities can turn to for development. But when it comes to serious training for cross-country and outdoor races, this is the only spot available. “The uneven terrain is great for practice for those preparing for cross-country races. There are so many places on the outskirts of Gurgaon where new development can be done. I don’t understand why the authorities need to disturb the one place that is doing so much good for the residents,” says Anand Kaushik of Faridabad , who cycles in the Aravallis regularly.Residents feel ‘closer to nature’ on the Aravalli trails

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