Context:
India showcased its Aravalli Green Wall project for restoring degraded forest lands at CoP-16.
Aravalli Green Wall Project:
- Launched by Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change
- Aims to create a 1,400 km long and 5 km wide green belt buffer around the Aravalli Mountain range to combat land degradation and desertification.
- Inspired by Africa’s Great Green Wall initiative
- Scope – The project spans across the 4 states of Haryana, Rajasthan, Gujarat, and Delhi
Aravalli Mountains:
- One of the oldest fold mountain ranges in the world
- Considerably worn down due to erosion
- Runs in a South-West direction
- Geographical coverage – Start near Delhi, passes through Haryana and Rajasthan, and end in Gujarat.
- Highest Peak – Guru Shikhar on Mount Abu, Rajasthan
- Split into 2 sections – Sambhar-Sirohi ranges (which include Guru Peak on Mount Abu) and the shorter Sambhar-Khetri ranges
- Formation – Formed during the Proterozoic era
- Part of the Aravalli-Delhi orogenic belt, created by the collision of tectonic plates.
- Rivers – 3 major rivers and their tributaries flow from the Aravalli
- Banas and Sahibi rivers which are tributaries of Yamuna
- Luni River which flows into the Rann of Kutch.
- Sabarmati originates from Aravalli hills
- Natural Resources – The range is rich in minerals such as copper, zinc, lead, and marble.
- Environmental Significance – Aravallis act as a barrier to the Thar Desert, influencing the climate of northwest India
Source: TOI
Previous Year Question
Consider the following statements:
1. In India, the Himalayas are spread over five states only.
2. The Western Ghats are spread over five states only.
3. Pulicat Lake is spread over two States only.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
[UPSC Civil Service Exam – 2017 Prelims]
(a) 1 and 2 only
(b) 3 only
(c) 2 and 3 only
(d) 1 and 3 only
Answer: (b)
Explanation:
Statement 1 is not correct: The Indian Himalayan Region is spread across 11 Indian States (Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim, Tripura, Assam and West Bengal) and 2 Union Territories (Ladakh and Jammu & Kashmir).
Statement 2 is incorrect. The Western Ghats traverse 6 states – Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Goa, Maharashtra, and Gujarat.
