Centre pushes Aravalli green wall, focus on large-scale eco-restoration

Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Bhupender Yadav on Wednesday inaugurated the National Conference on Eco-restoration of the Aravalli Landscape: Strengthening the Aravalli Green Wall in New Delhi, reiterating the Centre’s commitment to restoring India’s oldest mountain range through scientific and community-led interventions.

Addressing the inaugural session, the Minister said the Aravalli Green Wall Project was launched in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision and India’s commitment under the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) to restore 26 million hectares of degraded land . He also released a report titled “Eco-restoration of the Aravalli Landscape” , prepared by the Sankala Foundation.

Eco-restoration refers to the process of reviving degraded ecosystems by restoring native vegetation, improving soil health, rejuvenating water systems and enabling the return of wildlife, so that natural systems are able to function sustainably on their own. The approach goes beyond plantation activity and focuses on rebuilding entire landscapes that have been damaged by deforestation, mining, urbanisation and climate stress.

Under the Aravalli Green Wall initiative, 6.45 million hectares of degraded land across the Aravalli region have been identified, with greening work already initiated over 2.7 million hectares in Gujarat, Delhi, Haryana and Rajasthan . The project is being implemented by Divisional Forest Officers from 29 Aravalli districts , with emphasis on planting native species suited to arid and semi-arid conditions.

Recalling a major conservation decision, Yadav said about 97 sq km of heavily degraded Aravalli revenue land , stretching from Naurangpur to Nuh in Haryana , has been identified for afforestation and declared a Protected Forest by the state government to ensure better protection and management. He described the move as one of the most significant policy interventions for safeguarding the Aravallis since Independence, made possible under the Prime Minister’s leadership with support from then Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar.

The Minister highlighted that eco-restoration offers multiple long-term benefits, including revival of degraded land, forests and water bodies, improvement in soil fertility and prevention of erosion, and enhancement of biodiversity and wildlife habitats. Such interventions also help recharge groundwater, regulate local climate conditions, support livelihoods through sustainable use of natural resources, and combat climate change by increasing carbon absorption.

Emphasising the ecological and historical importance of the region, Yadav said the Aravallis have sheltered human civilisation for thousands of years and today are protected by four tiger reserves and 18 protected areas , with additional green interventions underway wherever required. He added that thousands of hectares in the region have been restored over the past two to three years and the government remains committed to continuing this work with ecology at the centre of development.

The inaugural session was also addressed by Haryana Environment Minister Rao Narbir Singh , MoEFCC Secretary Tanmay Kumar , Director General of Forests Sushil Kumar Awasthi , Denmark’s Ambassador to India Rasmus Abildgaard Kristensen , and representatives of the Sankala Foundation .

The conference brought together policymakers, forest officials, experts, practitioners and civil society representatives to deliberate on the ecological significance of the Aravalli range and pathways for its restoration. The report released at the event advocates a scientific, community-driven and scalable framework to strengthen the ministry’s Aravalli Green Wall Project under the National Action Plan to Combat Desertification and Land Degradation , stressing that isolated interventions are no longer adequate given the scale of degradation and ecological pressures facing the region.