Bhupender Yadav, Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, inaugurated the National Conference on Eco-restoration of the Aravalli Landscape: Strengthening the Aravalli Green Wall in New Delhi. On the occasion, the Minister also released a report titled Eco-restoration of the Aravalli Landscape, prepared by the Sankala Foundation.

Addressing the conference, Bhupender Yadav, Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, said the Aravalli Green Wall Project was launched in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision and India’s commitment under the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) to restore 26 million hectares of degraded land. He said 6.45 million hectares of degraded land have been identified in the Aravalli region, with greening work initiated across 2.7 million hectares in Gujarat, Delhi, Haryana and Rajasthan.

The Minister noted that Divisional Forest Officers from 29 Aravalli districts are implementing the project, with a focus on plantation of native species suitable for arid and semi-arid conditions. Highlighting a major conservation decision, he said nearly 97 square kilometres of degraded Aravalli revenue land from Naurangpur to Nuh in Haryana has been identified for afforestation and declared a Protected Forest by the state government.

Emphasising the ecological and historical importance of the Aravallis, the Minister said the region, one of the world’s oldest mountain ranges, is safeguarded by four tiger reserves and 18 protected areas, alongside other green interventions. He added that India has emerged as a global leader in wildlife conservation and continues to balance ecological stability with economic aspirations.

The inaugural session was also addressed by Rao Narbir Singh, Environment Minister, Haryana; Tanmay Kumar, Secretary, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change; Sushil Kumar Awasthi, Director General of Forests; Rasmus Abildgaard Kristensen, Ambassador of Denmark to India; and representatives of the Sankala Foundation. The conference brought together policymakers, experts and civil society to deliberate on landscape-scale, community-driven restoration of the Aravalli range.