India, April 26 -- The first boards appeared last week; then more did. All say the same thing: "This property, 430 acres of land at village Mangar has been attached by Benami Prohibition Unit, Chandigarh of Income Tax Department."The boards have given environmentalists hope that at least 430 acres of what once used to be village commons will be recognised as "deemed forest" and preserved for posterity.

After all, this is no ordinary land.

Mangar spread over 4262 acres (of which 3810 acres is hill area) is among the most biodiversity rich areas of the Aravallis in the National Capital Region (NCR). Within Mangar village, Mangar Bani (677.12 acres) is NCR's most sacred grove, and possibly the only patch of primary forest in the region. It...