Why in the news?

  • Protection measures need to be adopted for conserving Aravallis.

Aravalli Range

  • Location: It extends for about 650 km in a south-west to north-east direction across Gujarat, Rajasthan, Haryana and Delhi.
  • Features:
    • It is one of the oldest fold mountain systems in the world, dating back to the Precambrian era.
    • Highly eroded and discontinuous range due to great geological age
    • Highest peak: Guru Shikhar (1,722 m) in the Mount Abu region
    • Composed mainly of igneous and metamorphic rocks such as gneiss, schist, quartzite
    • Checks the eastward expansion of the Thar Desert and Moderates temperature and dust movement in north-western India.
    • The Delhi Ridge acts as the “lungs of Delhi”, improving air quality.
  • Threats Faced by the Aravallis:
    • Decades of intensive and illegal mining, stone quarrying and regulatory inconsistencies have severely degraded large parts of the range.
    • Depleted groundwater and ecological functions
    • Fragmented habitats and biodiversity
    • Weakened its climate-regulating role in regions like the NCR
    • Opened the way for desertification pressures eastwards from the Thar Desert
  • Key Directions:
    • The Supreme Court stepped in to protect the range by halting the grant of fresh mining leases in the region until proper scientific mapping and planning were completed.
    • Directing the preparation of a Sustainable Mining Management Plan (SMMP).
    • The Aravalli Green Wall Project (2025) was launched by the Government to enhance green cover in a 5 km buffer zone across multiple states, aligning India’s efforts with the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) and goals of land degradation neutrality.
  • Way Forward:
    • Comprehensive mapping of the range across all states to identify true ecological boundaries.
    • Environmental Impact Assessments: Macro-level studies of cumulative mining and developmental impacts before approvals.
    • Strict prohibition of mining in sensitive areas such as Protected forests and wildlife corridors and Aquifer recharge zones and water bodies.

Source: The Hindu