World Environment Day: PM Modi to launch project to restore degraded land in Aravalli Range

On World Environment Day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will take the ‘Ek Ped Maa ke Naam’ campaign ahead by launching a project to restore the degraded land of the Aravalli mountain range.

On June 5, he will plant saplings in the ridge area in South Delhi, a part of the Aravalli, sources said.

According to the officials in the Union Environment Ministry, in the second edition of ‘Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam’ campaign, the Centre has planned to restore the degraded areas in Aravallis — one of the oldest mountain ranges in the world whose extent stretches 700 km across the states of Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan and Gujarat.

“Over 1,000 nurseries will be created in the Aravalli mountain range. There are 22 wildlife sanctuaries, national parks and sanctuaries in the mountain ranges. This includes Asola Bhati (Delhi), Ranthambore, Sariska and Ramgarh Vishdhari tiger reserves (Rajasthan). Aravalli is an important source of water for the Indo-Gangetic plain. So the plan is to improve the water catchment areas of the mountain range,” official sources said.

The chief ministers of all the four states will also participate in the campaign. It was originally launched in June 2024, under which 109 crore saplings were planted across the country.

Recently, the Divisional Forest Officers of 29 districts in the four states were instructed by the ministry to develop a new management plan for the restoration of Aravalli mountain range.

“Since Delhi suffers due to pollution, saplings of the indigenous species like babool, bel pater will be planted. This will create a green belt in the national capital, which will curb pollution. Likewise, local species will be planted in all the four states,” sources said.