Context:- The Aravalli Green Wall Project inaugurated on March 26 at Tikli village in Haryana by Union Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister Bhupendra Yadav in a program organized on the occasion of International Forest Day.
An overview of the news
- The project will increase the green cover and biodiversity of Aravallis through afforestation, reforestation and restoration of water bodies.
- It will also improve soil fertility, water availability and climate resilience of the region.
- The project will benefit the local communities by providing them withemployment opportunities, income generation and ecosystem services.
- The objective of this initiative is to green a buffer zone of about 5 km of Aravalli mountain range spread over five states.
- 75 water sources will be rejuvenated under the project, starting with five water sources in each district of the Aravalli landscape on March 25.
- The project will also involve massive tree plantation drive and conservation of water resources in the Aravalli region.
- The project will cover barren land in Gurgaon, Faridabad, Bhiwani, Mahendragarh and Rewari districts of Haryana.
About Aravalli Green Wall Project
- The project is part of the Union Forest Ministry’s vision of creating green corridors across the country to combat land degradation and desertification.
- The project covers the states of Haryana, Rajasthan, Gujarat and Delhi where the Aravalli hills are spread over an area of 6 million hectares.
- The project will involve rejuvenation and restoration of ponds, lakes and rivers as well as planting of native species of trees and shrubs on scrub, barren land and degraded forest land.
- The project will also focus on agro-forestry and grassland development to enhance the livelihood of local communities.
About Aravalli Range:
- It extends from Himmatnagar in Gujarat to Delhi for a distance of about 720 km, which extends to Haryana and Rajasthan.
- It is thousands of years old, formed when the Indian subcontinental plate collided with the mainland of the Eurasian plate.
- According to carbon dating, copper and other metals were mined in the Aravalli range around the 5th century BCE.
- Its height is between 300 m to 900 m.
- Its highest peak is Gurushikhar (1,722 m) on Mount Abu.
