The Aravalli Green Wall and Landscape Restoration Drive: UPSC Current Affairs Story Arc

Overview

The Aravalli Green Wall and Landscape Restoration Drive is a massive, multi-year ecological intervention launched in 2025 to rejuvenate one of the world's oldest mountain ranges. It coordinates federal policy (Green India Mission), judicial enforcement (NGT), and grassroots initiatives (Matri Van) to combat desertification and dust pollution in the National Capital Region (NCR) and beyond. By integrating the Aravallis into the 'Nature-based Solutions' (NbS) framework and notifying Eco-Sensitive Zones like Kumbhalgarh, the government is creating a legal and biological barrier against land degradation. The project specifically targets the 700-km stretch passing through Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan, and Gujarat, utilizing digital reforms in CAMPA for real-time monitoring.

How This Story Evolved

Initiative Launch (June 2025) → Policy Integration (June 2025) → Regulatory Enforcement (July 2025) → Project Implementation (Dec 2025) → Legal Protection Expansion (Jan 2026) → Strategic Summary (Feb 2026)

1. 2025-06-04: Aravalli Green Wall Initiative
   More details

   UPSC Angle: PM to launch Aravalli Green Wall initiative on World Environment Day.

   Key Facts:

   • Aravalli Green Wall initiative is a centrally coordinated reforestation and landscape restoration campaign.
   • The initiative is led by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC).
   • The initiative covers the 700-km Aravalli range.
   • Led by Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC)
   • Covers 700-km Aravalli range
2. 2025-06-20: Green India Mission Revised Roadmap
   More details

   UPSC Angle: Green India Mission Revised Roadmap.

   Key Facts:

   • Revised Green India Mission (GIM) released
   • Aims to enhance forest restoration and combat climate change
   • Key mission under NAPCC
   • Focus on Aravallis, Western Ghats, Indian Himalayas, and mangrove ecosystems
   • Linked with Aravalli Green Wall to control desertification/dust pollution
   • Focus on eco-restoration of abandoned mining areas
   • Priority to restore open forests with estimated 1.89 billion tonnes CO2 potential
   • Alignment with India's 26 mha land restoration commitment by 2030
   • Green India Mission (GIM)
   • NAPCC
   • Carbon sink of 2.5–3 billion tonnes of CO₂
   • Restore 26 million hectares of degraded land
   • 2030
   • Paris Agreement
   • UNCCD Bonn Challenge
3. 2025-07-28: NGT Addresses Concerns Over Aravali Damage in Gurgaon
   More details

   UPSC Angle: NGT addresses concerns over Aravali damage in Gurgaon.

   Key Facts:

   • NGT hearing a plea by environmentalist Vaishali Rana
   • Allegations include unauthorized construction, tree loss, illegal borewells, and disruption of wildlife corridors in the Aravali Range, Sector 54, Gurgaon
   • First hearing on July 28, 2025, raised "substantial issues relating to compliance of environmental norms"
   • Allegations include construction, dumping debris, cutting trees, digging borewells, filling gorges, installing electricity poles, constructing a 1.5km road, noise and plastic pollution, and commercial activity inside the forest zone
   • Matter listed for April 24 (year unspecified)
4. 2025-12-22: Initiatives for Aravalli Protection
   More details

   UPSC Angle: Initiatives for the protection of Aravalli hills.

   Key Facts:

   • Matri Van Initiative
   • 750-acre urban forest
   • Aravalli hills
   • Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam' campaign
   • Aravalli Green Wall Project
   • 5 km green buffer
5. 2026-01-21: Kumbhalgarh Wildlife Sanctuary Declared Eco-Sensitive Zone
   More details

   UPSC Angle: Kumbhalgarh Wildlife Sanctuary declared Eco-Sensitive Zone.

   Key Facts:

   • Kumbhalgarh Wildlife Sanctuary is declared as Eco-Sensitive Zone (ESZ)
6. 2026-02-09: Nature-based Solutions (NbS) Initiatives
   More details

   UPSC Angle: Initiatives to promote Nature-based Solutions (NbS).

   Key Facts:

   • IUCN Global Standard for NbS: A rigorous framework of 8 criteria to ensure projects are sustainable and benefit both people and planet.
   • Aravalli Green Wall Project: A massive 2025 initiative to restore 6.31 million hectares of land to stop desertification in Northwest India.
   • Digital CAMPA Reforms: The rollout of the Digital APO Portal (2025) to ensure transparency and real-time monitoring of compensatory afforestation.
   • ENACT Initiative: A global partnership (supported by India) to accelerate NbS by integrating them into national climate and biodiversity plans.

Genesis

Trigger

The initiative was officially launched by the Prime Minister on June 4, 2025 (World Environment Day) to address the rapid degradation of the Aravalli range and the increasing frequency of dust storms in Northwest India.

Why Now

The launch coincided with the 2025 revision of the Green India Mission (GIM) roadmap, which shifted from general afforestation to a 'micro-ecosystem' approach targeting specific mountain ranges like the Aravallis and Western Ghats.

Historical Context

The Aravallis have suffered decades of illegal mining and unauthorized construction, leading to 'gaps' in the range that allow desert sands from the Thar to drift toward Delhi-NCR. Previous attempts were fragmented; this arc represents the first centrally coordinated 700-km landscape strategy.

Key Turning Points

1. [2025-07-28] NGT Deadline on Aravalli Damage

   Shifted the arc from a 'government initiative' to a 'legally mandated cleanup', targeting specific violations like illegal borewells and debris dumping in Gurgaon.

   Before: Restoration was a policy goal. After: Compliance with environmental norms became a time-bound judicial requirement.

2. [2026-01-21] Kumbhalgarh ESZ Notification

   Provided permanent legal protection to a major Aravalli anchor point.

   Before: Protection was based on general forest laws. After: Strict ESZ regulations applied to land use around the historic fort area.

Key Actors and Institutions

Key Institutions

• Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC)
• National Green Tribunal (NGT)
• International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)
• Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA)

Key Concepts

Nature-based Solutions (NbS)

Actions to protect, sustainably manage, and restore natural or modified ecosystems that address societal challenges effectively and adaptively.

Current Fact: The Aravalli Green Wall was recognized as a key NbS initiative in February 2026, following IUCN Global Standards.

Eco-Sensitive Zone (ESZ)

Buffer areas around Protected Areas (National Parks/Sanctuaries) where certain activities are regulated to minimize human impact on fragile ecosystems.

Current Fact: Kumbhalgarh Wildlife Sanctuary was notified as an ESZ on January 21, 2026, to strengthen the Aravalli conservation framework.

Green India Mission (GIM)

One of the eight missions under the National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC) aimed at protecting, restoring, and enhancing India's diminishing forest cover.

Current Fact: A revised GIM roadmap was released on June 20, 2025, adopting a 'micro-ecosystem' approach for the Aravallis.

What Happens Next

Current Status

As of February 2026, the project has been elevated to an international standard as a 'Nature-based Solution' (NbS) under IUCN frameworks, supported by Digital CAMPA reforms for transparency.

Likely Next

Expansion of the 5km buffer zone across all four states and the potential notification of more Aravalli pockets as Eco-Sensitive Zones (ESZs) following the Kumbhalgarh precedent.

Wildcards

Judicial pushback or enforcement delays in the Haryana segment (Gurgaon/Faridabad) where high-value real estate overlaps with the proposed green corridors.

Why UPSC Cares

Syllabus Topics

• Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation
• Changes in critical geographical features
• Government policies and interventions

Essay Angles

• The 'Green Wall' as a metaphor for India's ecological resilience.
• Balancing urban sprawl (NCR) with ecological imperatives (Aravallis).

Prelims Likely: Yes

Mains Likely: Yes

Trend Signal: rising

Exam Intelligence

Previous Year Question Connections

• Aim of 'Green India Mission' — The arc shows the *evolution* of GIM from a general forest mission to a range-specific 'micro-ecosystem' approach (2025 roadmap).
• Functioning of CAMPA — Directly relates to the 'Digital CAMPA Reforms' mentioned in the Feb 2026 item to ensure transparency in afforestation funds.

Prelims Angles

• States covered by Aravalli Green Wall: Haryana, Rajasthan, Gujarat, and Delhi.
• The '5 km buffer' rule around the range specifically aimed at stopping desertification.
• Identification of Kumbhalgarh as a 'dry deciduous forest ecosystem' in the ESZ notification.
• Distinction between IUCN's 8 criteria for NbS and standard afforestation projects.

Mains Preparation

Sample Question: Critically analyze the Aravalli Green Wall initiative as a Nature-based Solution (NbS) to combat desertification in Northwest India. How do recent judicial and regulatory interventions complement this project?

Answer Structure: Define Aravalli Green Wall & NbS → Explain the ecological threat (desertification/gaps) → Discuss GIM's micro-ecosystem approach → Analyze the role of NGT and ESZ notifications as regulatory teeth → Mention Digital CAMPA for accountability → Conclusion on integrated landscape management.

Essay Topic: Nature-based Solutions: Healing the Scars of Industrial Progress

Textbook Connections

Key Takeaway

The Aravalli Green Wall signifies India's shift from fragmented tree-planting to a sophisticated, data-driven, and legally-fortified landscape restoration strategy targeting desertification.

All Events in This Story (6 items)

1. 2025-06-04 [Environment & Ecology] — Aravalli Green Wall Initiative
   The Prime Minister of India will launch the Aravalli Green Wall initiative on World Environment Day 2025 to rejuvenate the ancient Aravalli range. It is a reforestation and landscape restoration campaign led by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC), covering the 700-km Aravalli range.
   More details

   UPSC Angle: PM to launch Aravalli Green Wall initiative on World Environment Day.

   Key Facts:

   • Aravalli Green Wall initiative is a centrally coordinated reforestation and landscape restoration campaign.
   • The initiative is led by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC).
   • The initiative covers the 700-km Aravalli range.
   • Led by Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC)
   • Covers 700-km Aravalli range
2. 2025-06-20 [Environment & Ecology] — Green India Mission Revised Roadmap
   The Union Government released a revised roadmap for the Green India Mission (GIM), aiming to enhance forest restoration, combat climate change, and address land degradation and desertification challenges. GIM is a key mission under NAPCC to enhance forest cover, restore degraded lands, and contribute to India's climate goals. The revised Green India Mission will take a 'micro-ecosystem' approach in area and landscape-specific restoration activities in three important mountain ranges – the Aravallis, the Western Ghats, and the Indian Himalayas, along with the mangrove ecosystems.
   More details

   UPSC Angle: Green India Mission Revised Roadmap.

   Key Facts:

   • Revised Green India Mission (GIM) released
   • Aims to enhance forest restoration and combat climate change
   • Key mission under NAPCC
   • Focus on Aravallis, Western Ghats, Indian Himalayas, and mangrove ecosystems
   • Linked with Aravalli Green Wall to control desertification/dust pollution
   • Focus on eco-restoration of abandoned mining areas
   • Priority to restore open forests with estimated 1.89 billion tonnes CO2 potential
   • Alignment with India's 26 mha land restoration commitment by 2030
   • Green India Mission (GIM)
   • NAPCC
   • Carbon sink of 2.5–3 billion tonnes of CO₂
   • Restore 26 million hectares of degraded land
   • 2030
   • Paris Agreement
   • UNCCD Bonn Challenge
3. 2025-07-28 [Environment & Ecology] — NGT Addresses Concerns Over Aravali Damage in Gurgaon
   The National Green Tribunal (NGT) addressed concerns regarding damage to the Aravali range in Gurgaon, setting a deadline for responses from various agencies. The plea, filed by environmentalist Vaishali Rana, alleges unauthorized construction, tree loss, illegal borewells, and disruption of wildlife corridors in the ecologically sensitive Aravali Range.
   More details

   UPSC Angle: NGT addresses concerns over Aravali damage in Gurgaon.

   Key Facts:

   • NGT hearing a plea by environmentalist Vaishali Rana
   • Allegations include unauthorized construction, tree loss, illegal borewells, and disruption of wildlife corridors in the Aravali Range, Sector 54, Gurgaon
   • First hearing on July 28, 2025, raised "substantial issues relating to compliance of environmental norms"
   • Allegations include construction, dumping debris, cutting trees, digging borewells, filling gorges, installing electricity poles, constructing a 1.5km road, noise and plastic pollution, and commercial activity inside the forest zone
   • Matter listed for April 24 (year unspecified)
4. 2025-12-22 [Environment & Ecology] — Initiatives for Aravalli Protection
   Initiatives for the protection of Aravalli include the Matri Van Initiative, which involves the development of a 750-acre urban forest in the Aravalli hills, linked to the 'Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam' campaign, and the Aravalli Green Wall Project, which aims to create a 5 km green buffer around Aravalli across four states to combat desertification and land degradation.
   More details

   UPSC Angle: Initiatives for the protection of Aravalli hills.

   Key Facts:

   • Matri Van Initiative
   • 750-acre urban forest
   • Aravalli hills
   • Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam' campaign
   • Aravalli Green Wall Project
   • 5 km green buffer
5. 2026-01-21 [Environment & Ecology] — Kumbhalgarh Wildlife Sanctuary Declared Eco-Sensitive Zone
   The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has notified the Kumbhalgarh Wildlife Sanctuary as an Eco-Sensitive Zone (ESZ) to strengthen conservation in the Aravalli Range. The sanctuary is known for its dry deciduous forest ecosystem and faunal diversity, surrounding the historic Kumbhalgarh Fort.
   More details

   UPSC Angle: Kumbhalgarh Wildlife Sanctuary declared Eco-Sensitive Zone.

   Key Facts:

   • Kumbhalgarh Wildlife Sanctuary is declared as Eco-Sensitive Zone (ESZ)
6. 2026-02-09 [Environment & Ecology] — Nature-based Solutions (NbS) Initiatives
   Various initiatives are being undertaken to promote Nature-based Solutions (NbS), including the IUCN Global Standard for NbS, the Aravalli Green Wall Project, Digital CAMPA Reforms, and the ENACT Initiative. The Aravalli Green Wall Project is a 2025 initiative to restore 6.31 million hectares of land to stop desertification in Northwest India.
   More details

   UPSC Angle: Initiatives to promote Nature-based Solutions (NbS).

   Key Facts:

   • IUCN Global Standard for NbS: A rigorous framework of 8 criteria to ensure projects are sustainable and benefit both people and planet.
   • Aravalli Green Wall Project: A massive 2025 initiative to restore 6.31 million hectares of land to stop desertification in Northwest India.
   • Digital CAMPA Reforms: The rollout of the Digital APO Portal (2025) to ensure transparency and real-time monitoring of compensatory afforestation.
   • ENACT Initiative: A global partnership (supported by India) to accelerate NbS by integrating them into national climate and biodiversity plans.