Context:

The Aravalli Green Wall Initiative is a large-scale, centrally coordinated reforestation and landscape restoration campaign launched by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC). It aims to create a green corridor along the 700-kilometre-long Aravalli Range, spanning four states.

Objectives

• Combat desertification and land degradation across 29 districts in the Aravalli landscape.
• Restore ecological balance by expanding green cover and preserving biodiversity.
• Enhance carbon sequestration as part of India’s Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) under the UNFCCC.
• Revive surface water bodies and ensure active community participation in restoration efforts.

Key Features

• Geographical Coverage: 29 districts across Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan, and Gujarat identified for plantation and ecological work.
• Nursery Development: Establishment of 1,000 nurseries with native plant species, funded through CAMPA, MGNREGA, and various state schemes.
• Thematic Focus Areas:
  • Agroforestry and pastureland development.
  • Rejuvenation of lakes, ponds, and other water bodies.
• Program Integration: Synergized with ongoing initiatives like ‘Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam’.
• Community Engagement: Promotion of eco-tourism activities (e.g., safaris, trekking, nature parks) to involve and benefit local populations.
• Timeline: Phase I to be completed by 2027, with the official action plan launched during COP16 of the UNCCD in Riyadh.

About the Aravalli Range

States Covered

• Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan, and Gujarat

Geographical & Ecological Importance

• Among the oldest fold mountain ranges in the world, formed during the Proterozoic Era.
• Serves as a natural barrier preventing the expansion of the Thar Desert into the National Capital Region (NCR).
• Key Peak: Guru Shikhar in Mount Abu, Rajasthan (1,722 meters) – the highest point in the Aravallis.
• Hydrological Role:
  • Source of rivers like Banas and Sahibi (Yamuna tributaries) and Luni (which drains into the Rann of Kutch).
• Geological Composition:
  • Rich in minerals such as copper, zinc, and marble.
• Structural Division:
  • Sambhar–Sirohi Range (includes Guru Shikhar).
  • Sambhar–Khetri Range (marked by discontinuous ridges).