The Aravalli Range — India’s Shield Against Desertification

Relevance: GS Paper I — Geography (Indian physical features); GS Paper III — Environment & Conservation

Source: Forest Survey of India (FSI) & Wildlife Institute of India (WII), 2026

1 · Context

Severe pre-monsoon dust storms across Rajasthan have refocused attention on the Aravalli Range — the physical barrier preventing the Thar Desert from expanding eastward into the fertile Indo-Gangetic plains. Illegal mining and deforestation have lowered the shield, allowing desert dust to reach Delhi even on low-velocity winds (35–40 km/h).

2 · The Aravalli shield — at a glance

ARAVALLI RANGE · THAR DESERT · GREAT GREEN WALL

THAR DESERT  (west of Aravalli) Source of dust-bearing south-westerly winds that hit the Aravalli’s western slopes.

INDO-GANGETIC PLAINS  (east of Aravalli) Fertile heartland — Punjab, Haryana, Western UP, NCR. Protected by the Aravalli shield.

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THE ARAVALLI RANGE (the shield) One of the world’s oldest fold mountain ranges, ~692 km long, running south-west to north-east across Gujarat → Rajasthan → Haryana → Delhi. ‘Obstacle dunes’ on the western slopes trap incoming sand.

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THE BREACH (the shield is failing) 31 of 128 hills disappeared in Rajasthan due to illegal mining (FSI). 12 critical gaps identified by the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) are widening. Winds of just 35–40 km/h now carry desert dust to Delhi.

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THE RESPONSE Great Green Wall of Aravalli — a planned 1,400 km long, 5 km wide ecological corridor from Porbandar (Gujarat) to Delhi.

3 · About the Aravalli Range

• Type: one of the world’s oldest fold mountain ranges.
• Length and direction: about 692 km, running south-west to north-east.
• States covered: Gujarat, Rajasthan, Haryana and Delhi.
• ‘Obstacle dunes’: dust-bearing winds lose velocity on the western slopes and drop sand; vegetation cover scrubs out finer dust.

4 · The threat — a collapsing shield

• 31 of 128 Aravalli hills in Rajasthan have completely disappeared due to illegal mining (Forest Survey of India).
• 12 critical gaps identified by the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) — widening with deforestation.
• Lower wind threshold: winds of just 35–40 km/h now carry desert dust to Delhi and the northern plains.

5 · Conservation initiatives

• Great Green Wall of Aravalli: a planned ecological corridor 1,400 km long and 5 km wide, from Porbandar (Gujarat) to Delhi.
• National Action Programme to Combat Desertification: India’s effort under the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), targeting Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN).
• Central Empowered Committee (CEC): Supreme-Court-appointed statutory body; has ordered bans on Aravalli mining.
• Native afforestation species: Khejri, Babool, Neem.

VALUE BOX · QUICK REVISION Aravalli: ~692 km long, runs SW to NE across Gujarat, Rajasthan, Haryana, Delhi. Type: oldest fold mountain range in the world. Great Green Wall of Aravalli: 1,400 km, 5 km wide, Porbandar → Delhi. 12 critical gaps identified by Wildlife Institute of India. UNCCD goal: Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN). CEC: Supreme-Court-appointed body monitoring Aravalli mining bans.

MCQ · PRELIMS PRACTICE

Consider the following statements regarding the Aravalli Range:

1. The Aravalli Range is one of the world’s oldest fold mountain ranges, extending across the states of Gujarat, Rajasthan, Haryana and Delhi.
2. The Aravalli Range runs in a north-west to south-east direction and acts as a natural barrier preventing the eastward expansion of the Thar Desert into the Indo-Gangetic plains.
3. The Great Green Wall of Aravalli is a planned 1,400-km ecological corridor stretching from Porbandar in Gujarat to Delhi.

Which of the statements given above are correct?

(a) 1 and 2 only	(b) 2 and 3 only
(c) 1 and 3 only	(d) 1, 2 and 3

Answer: (c) 1 and 3 only

Statement 1 — Correct. The Aravalli is one of the oldest fold mountain ranges in the world and runs across four States/UTs.

Statement 2 — Incorrect (the trap). The direction is reversed. The Aravalli runs south-west to north-east — from Gujarat (SW) up to Delhi (NE). The Thar-Desert-barrier function is correct, but the directional error makes the whole statement wrong.

Statement 3 — Correct. The Great Green Wall of Aravalli is a planned 1,400-km, 5-km-wide green corridor from Porbandar (Gujarat) to Delhi.