PM Modi launches ‘Aravali Green Wall’ project by planting sapling under Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam initiative 

New Delhi, June 5 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday launched the 'Aravali Green Wall' project, a special drive aimed at reforesting the Aravali range, one of the biggest forest covers, spanning four states -- Gujarat, Rajasthan, Haryana and Delhi. 

To mark World Environment Day, he also planted a sapling at the Bhagwan Mahavir Vanasthali Park in the national capital under the 'Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam' initiative.

He shared pictures of the special tree plantation drive and wrote, “Today, on World Environment Day, we strengthened the Ek Ped Maa ke Naam initiative with a special tree plantation drive.”

“This is also a part of our effort to reforest the Aravalli range - the Aravalli Green Wall project,” he added.

The Aravalli Green Wall Project is an ambitious project aimed at reforesting the 700 kilometres of the Aravalli range. The Aravali range, stretching across four states, has seen environmental degradation in the past few decades. The new push under the Aravalli Green Wall Project will create a green zone from Delhi to Gujarat, to act as a "natural barrier against desertification" and will also aid in groundwater recharge.

“Our focus is to rejuvenate areas linked with this range. We are going to work with the respective local administrations and going to emphasise things such as improving water systems, curbing dust storms, stopping eastward expansion of the Thar desert and more,” PM Modi further said.

The project will go beyond conventional methods and encourage new techniques in urban as well as semi-urban areas to address space constraint problems.

“Plantation activities will be geo-tagged and monitored on the Meri LiFE portal. I call upon the youth of our nation to take part in this movement and add to our planet’s green cover,” PM Modi said.

As part of the major drive, one thousand permanent nurseries will be set up to revive the country’s oldest mountain range. Technologies like satellite mapping will also be deployed to facilitate speed and transparency in the project.

Notably, the Aravali range is home to 22 wildlife sanctuaries and four tiger reserves, namely Ranthambore, Sariska, Ramgarh-Vishdhari, and Mukunda Hills.