Aravalli Green Wall Project helps to improve climate resilience in the region: Bhupender Yadav

New Delhi: Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Bhupender Yadav said government is committed to revive the Aravallis through various initiatives like single-use plastic ban, water conservation efforts and natural resources protection.

The Union Minister said that the Aravalli Green Wall Project will not only increase the green cover and biodiversity of the Aravalli through afforestation, reforestation and restoration of water bodies, but also improve the soil fertility, water availability and climate resilience of the region.

Yadav also launched the Aravalli Green Wall Project, a major initiative to green the 5 km buffer area around the Aravalli Hill Range in four states at a function organised to celebrate the “International Day of Forests” at Tikli Village in Haryana.

At the event, Bhupender Yadav unveiled the National Action Plan to Combat Desertification and Land Degradation through Forestry Interventions and a FAQ on Agro-forestry published by Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education. The Union Minister also participated in a plantation drive.

He said that the project will benefit the local communities by providing them with employment opportunities, income generation and ecosystem services.

 The Aravalli Green Wall Project is part of the Union Environment Ministry’s vision to create green corridors across the country to combat land degradation and desertification.

The project covers states of Haryana, Rajasthan, Gujarat and Delhi – where the Aravalli hills landscape span over 6 million hectares of land.

The project will involve planting native species of trees and shrubs on scrubland, wasteland and degraded forest land, along with rejuvenating and restoring surface water bodies such as ponds, lakes and streams.

The project will also focus on agro-forestry and pasture development to enhance the livelihoods of local communities.

In the initial phase, 75 water bodies will be rejuvenated under the project, starting with five waterbodies each in every district of Aravalli landscape on March 25^th.

The project will also include large-scale plantation drives and conservation of water resources in the Aravalli region. The project will cover degraded land in Gurgaon, Faridabad, Bhiwani, Mahendergarh and in Rewari districts of Haryana.

The Union Minister also appreciated the efforts of the Haryana Forest Department and other stakeholders for their cooperation and support in implementing the project and reiterated the government’s commitment to achieve the national goal of creating an additional 2.5 billion tonnes of carbon sink by 2030.

The Union Minister said that rejuvenation of water bodies and catchment of the local streams will help in improving the overall soil moisture regime, productivity and drought resilience.

He highlighted the importance of developing synergy between restoration, socio-economic factors and development activities to ensure that both conservation and development can be achieved.

Speaking at the event, the Haryana Minister of Forests & Wildlife,  Kanwar Pal Gurjar emphasized the importance of afforestation and restoration of degraded forests to mitigate the effects of climate change.

“The Forest department’s ongoing efforts to increase the state’s green cover and protect its wildlife” he said.