‘Centre strengthened Aravalli restoration with Green Wall push’

NEW DELHI: Union Environment, Forest and Climate Change minister Bhupender Yadav on Wednesday said the government launched the Aravalli Green Wall Project as part of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision and India’s commitment under the UNCCD to restore 26 million hectares of degraded land.

Under this initiative, 6.45 million hectares of degraded land in the Aravalli region has been identified, with greening work initiated over 2.7 million hectares across Gujarat, Delhi, Haryana and Rajasthan. Divisional Forest Officers from 29 Aravalli districts are implementing the project, focusing on plantations of native species suited to arid and semi-arid conditions, the minister informed.

Recalling a landmark conservation decision, Yadav said that around 97 square kilometres of Aravalli revenue land, stretching from Naurangpur to Nuh in Haryana and heavily degraded, has been identified for afforestation and has also been declared a Protected Forest by the State of Haryana for better protection and management..

The minister was speaking after inaugurating the National Conference on Eco-restoration of the Aravalli Landscape: Strengthening the Aravalli Green Wall here. He also released a report titled “Eco-restoration of the Aravalli Landscape”, prepared by the Sankala Foundation, during the inaugural session.

Highlighting the ecological and historical importance of the region, the minister said the Aravallis are the country’s oldest mountain range and have sheltered human civilisation for thousands of years.

He said the Aravalli ecosystem is protected by four tiger reserves and 18 protected areas, while additional green interventions are being undertaken wherever required.

He said India has taken global leadership in wildlife conservation, noting that the country is home to five of the world’s seven big cat species and nearly 70 per cent of the global tiger population, which continues to grow.