Gujarat's 'Green Wall of Aravalli' Project: 230,000 Trees Planted in Sabarkantha District
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Gandhinagar/Sabarkantha, March 18 (NationPress) The 'Green Wall of Aravalli' initiative has successfully planted 230,000 trees in Sabarkantha district within the last two years, as stated by Pravin Mali, the State Minister for Forests and Environment, during a Legislative Assembly session on Wednesday.
Inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on June 5, 2025, from New Delhi, this ambitious project aims to establish a green corridor that stretches along the Aravalli mountain range, which spans from Gujarat to Delhi.
In response to an MLA's inquiry, Minister Mali emphasized that the survival rate of the planted trees has been notably high. He added, “To promote rapid growth, the Forest Department will cultivate saplings measuring between six to ten feet and provide them free of charge. This will eliminate the need for tree lovers to buy saplings from private nurseries. The department will oversee the maintenance of these trees for a decade.”
As part of the initiative commemorating the 150th birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, the Forest Department is also developing memorial forests with 562 trees in each legislative assembly constituency, honoring Patel's role in unifying 562 princely states.
Memorial forests have already been established in locations such as Idar, Khedbrahma, Prantij, and Himmatnagar.
Mali further shared progress regarding the Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA) scheme, reporting that in the past year, a total of 1.4 million saplings have been planted across 1,508 hectares in Sabarkantha, which includes 455,000 saplings across 454 hectares in Khedbrahma.
The 'Green Wall of Aravalli' project represents a comprehensive ecological restoration effort aimed at reversing land degradation and combating desertification across the Aravalli mountain range, which extends through Gujarat, Rajasthan, Haryana, and Delhi.
The ultimate goal is to create a five-kilometer-wide green belt by planting native tree and shrub species on scrubland, wasteland, and degraded forest areas, while also revitalizing surface water resources like ponds and streams and encouraging agroforestry and pasture development.