An ambitious plan of the Rajasthan State Industrial Development and Investment Corporation (RIICO) to develop a fintech park near Sanganer Airport in Jaipur has met with a strong protest by the city's residents. The concerned citizens have said the project will destroy a forest cover in the area and scare away the birds living there.
The fintech park, for which a provision has been made in this year's State Budget, is proposed to be developed in a 4.08-lakh sq. metre area in the vicinity of the airport for attracting information technology and financial firms with an estimated investment of Rs.3,000 crore. The project will be undertaken at a cost of Rs.106 crore.
The Dol Ka Badh forest cover, which has grown on the land over the last few years, has a rich biodiversity in the middle of the city. After multiple trips to the area, some ornithologists and birdwatchers have provided a long list of flora and fauna in the forest.
Though the government functionaries had earlier assured that the matter would be looked into, the RIICO has moved ahead with the project's activities. People's Union for Civil Liberties-Rajasthan president Kavita Srivastava said here on Thursday that huge boards had been put up at the site and a tree count undertaken ostensibly to fell them and clear the area.
A group of 30 eminent citizens from across the country has shot off a letter to Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot seeking his intervention to ensure relocation of fintech park to any of the four industrial areas in Jaipur district, where several industrial hubs were lying vacant. Massive construction on 40 hectares at Dol Ka Badh would change the whole profile of what was once a village, said the citizens.
The signatories to the letter included Aruna Roy, Harsh Mander, Syeda Hameed, Medha Patkar, Ramchandra Guha, Apoorvanand, Shabnam Hashmi, Vandana Shiva and Sunny Sebastian. The letter said the forested areas within the city limits were vital for the health of urban clusters and affirmed that the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic had seen cities with poor air quality getting more affected.
Ms. Srivastava said the campaign to save Dol Ka Badh would continue with the nature walks and bird watching initiatives for children and nature lovers. “Botanists and climate change activists are also documenting the flora and fauna and engaging with the city's residents on the situation of the depleting green cover in their respective areas,” she said.
