Aravalli Green Wall Project

Why in news?

• Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change inaugurated the Aravali Green Wall Project on the occasion of International day of Forests and unveiled the National Action Plan to Combat Desertification and Land Degradation through Forestry Interventions.

About Aravali Green Wall Project:

• It is an ambitious plan to create a 1,400km long and 5km wide green belt buffer around the Aravali Mountain range covering states of Haryana, Rajasthan, Gujarat and Delhi.
• In the initial phase, 75 water bodies will be rejuvenated, starting with five waterbodies each in every district of Aravalli landscape.
• It will cover degraded land in Gurgaon, Faridabad, Bhiwani, Mahendergarh and in Rewari districts of Haryana.
• The plan is inspired by Africa’s ‘Great Green Wall’ project.

About Aravali Mountain Range:

• The Aravallis, is the oldest fold mountains on Earth.
• It spans over 800km from Gujarat to Delhi (through Rajasthan and Haryana).
• The highest peak in the Aravalli Range is Guru Peak on Mount Abu.
• The Aravallis have an impact upon the climate of northwest India and beyond.
  • During monsoons, the mountain range gently guides the monsoon clouds eastwards towards Shimla and Nainital, thus helping nurture the sub-Himalayan rivers and feeding the north Indian plains.
  • In the winter months, it protects the fertile alluvial river valleys (the para-Indus and Gangetic) from the assault of cold westerly winds from Central Asia.

About Great Green Wall of Africa (GGW):

• GGW is a project launched by African union to restore the continent’s degraded landscapes and transform millions of lives in the Sahel.
• The project plans 8km wide band of trees stretching 8,000km across Africa.
• It aims to restore 100 million hectares of currently degraded land.
• Also, the project envisages sequestering 250 million tons of carbon and creating 10 million green jobs by 2030.
• It runs from Senegal (West) to Djibouti (East) and covers eleven countries in the Sahel-Sahara region—Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Sudan, Chad, Niger, Nigeria, Mali, Burkina Faso, Mauritania, and Senegal.

PRACTICE QUESTION:

Aravalli range covers which of the following states in India?

1. Gujarat

2. Rajasthan

3. Haryana

4. Himachal Pradesh

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

(a) 1 and 3 only

(b) 2,3 and 4 only

(c) 1,2 and 3

(d) 1,2,3 and 4

Answer