Why in news? Aravalli Green Wall Project, a major initiative to green 5 km buffer area around the Aravalli Hill Range in four states was launched to celebrate the International Day of Forests at Tikli Village in Haryana.

Highlights:

• 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 was also unveiled
• This 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.

About  Aravalli Green Wall Project

• 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 agroforestry and pasture development to enhance the livelihoods of local communities.

About Aravalli Ranges

• The Aravalli Range is a mountain range in Northern-Western India, running in a south-west direction, starting near Delhi, passing through southern Haryana, Rajasthan, and ending in Ahmedabad Gujarat.
• The highest peak is Guru Shikhar on Mount Abu.
• The Aravalli Range is arguably the oldest geological feature on Earth having its origin in the Proterozoic era.
• Three major rivers and their tributaries flow from the Aravalli, namely Banas and Sahibi rivers which are tributaries of Yamuna, as well as Luni River which flows into the Rann of Kutch.
• The Sariska-Delhi leopard wildlife corridor or the Northern Aravalli leopard wildlife corridor is a 200 km long important biodiversity and wildlife corridor which runs from the Sariska Tiger Reserve in Rajasthan to Delhi Ridge.