Aravalli Green Wall Project launched to revive oldest mountain range

New Delhi: To mark the World Environment Day, Centre on Thursday launched “Aravalli Green Wall project” to address the multiple environmental challenges faced by the oldest mountain spanning in four states.

The projects launched by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi by planted a banyan sapling at the Bhagwan Mahavir Vanasthali Park in Delhi, which also strength the Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam initiative.

Highlighting the importance of reforest the Aravalli range under the Aravalli Green Wall project, Prime Minister noted that the Aravalli range, one of the oldest on the planet, spans Gujarat, Rajasthan, Haryana, and Delhi.

He said that the region faces multiple environmental challenges which the Government is committed to addressing. 

PM Modi said that in the Aravalli range and beyond, in addition to the traditional planting methods, we will encourage new techniques especially in urban and semi-urban areas where there are space constraints. Plantation activities will be geo-tagged and monitored on the Meri LiFE portal, Shri Modi further added.

The Prime Minister also urged the youth of the country to actively participate in the movement and contribute to enhancing the green cover of the planet.

In a series of tweet, Prime Minister said,”Today, on #WorldEnvironmentDay, we strengthened the #EkPedMaaKeNaam initiative with a special tree plantation drive. I planted a sapling at the Bhagwan Mahavir Vanasthali Park in Delhi. This is also a part of our effort to reforest the Aravalli range – the Aravalli Green Wall project.”

“It is widely known that the Aravalli range is one of the oldest on our planet, covering Gujarat, Rajasthan, Haryana and Delhi. The past several years have brought to the fore several environmental challenges relating to this range, which our Government is committed to mitigating.

He further added, “Our focus is to rejuvenate areas linked with this range. We are going to work with the respective local administrations and going to emphasise things such as improving water systems, curbing dust storms, stopping eastward expansion of the Thar desert and more.”

“In the Aravalli range and beyond, in addition to the traditional planting methods, we will encourage new techniques especially in urban and semi-urban areas where there are space constraints. Plantation activities will be geo-tagged and monitored on the Meri LiFE portal. I call upon the youth of our nation to take part in this movement and add to our planet’s green cover” he wrote .

About Aravalli mountains:- Aravalli are likely the country’s oldest mountain range, spanning 670 km, and runs in a southwesterly direction from Delhi to Gujarat.

It is the source of important rivers including the Chambal. And it hosts the only primary forest in the National Capital Region, with tools from the lower Palaeolithic period (3.3 million years to 300,000 years ago) and cave art being found in the hills around the forest.

The range is home to 22 wildlife sanctuaries and four tiger reserves- Ranthambore, Sariska, Ramgarh-Vishdhari, and Mukunda Hills. It also houses the bird sanctuary, Keoladeo National Park and nearly 50 historic forts that date back centuries.

Of the 1.25 lakh hectares within the Aravalli landscape, approximately 42,000 hectares are designated reserve forests. The terrain varies from rolling ridges to steep hillocks, with the highest elevation being Guru Shikhar in Mount Abu, Rajasthan, which stands at 1,732 metres above sea level. Several rivers, including the Chambal and Luni, originate in these hills, which are also rich in minerals and diverse flora and fauna.