Rajasthan Launches Major Aravalli Restoration Drive, Udaipur Top Priority
A comprehensive drive to restore degraded landscapes in the ecologically sensitive Aravalli region is set to commence soon, with Udaipur district identified as the worst-affected area requiring immediate attention, according to forest department officials. This initiative marks a significant step in addressing the severe ecological stress across Rajasthan, which accounts for the largest share of degraded land under the restoration plan.
Scale of Degradation in the Aravalli Buffer Zone
The restoration program covers a five-kilometer buffer zone along the Aravalli range, stretching from Gujarat to Delhi. This buffer spans an enormous 6.31 million hectares, of which approximately 2.70 million hectares—representing 42.8% of the total area—has been identified as degraded through detailed satellite analysis. Alarmingly, about 81% of this degraded land lies within Rajasthan, highlighting the state's critical ecological challenges.
"Udaipur has emerged as the priority district because the extent of degradation here is the highest," explained a senior forest department official. "The district alone has more degraded land than the combined degraded area in the Aravalli buffer of Haryana, Delhi and Gujarat."
District-Wise Breakdown of Degraded Land
In Rajasthan, the restoration program encompasses 19 districts, with Udaipur recording the most severe degradation at nearly 670,000 hectares—representing 27.87% of the degraded land in the Aravalli buffer area. The situation in other districts is also concerning:
- Rajsamand follows with 298,000 hectares (12.32% of degraded land)
- Pali with 278,000 hectares (11.49%)
- Dungarpur, Ajmer, Sirohi, Alwar, Nagaur and Sikar also reported significant degraded landscapes
Data analysis reveals that forest areas constitute nearly 36% of Rajasthan's degraded landscape, with all 19 districts showing signs of forest degradation. The problem is particularly acute in Udaipur, Rajsamand and Sirohi, where vegetation loss and soil erosion have substantially weakened the ecosystem.
Restoration Strategy and Implementation Approach
The restoration strategy will focus on multiple approaches to rehabilitate the degraded landscapes:
- Soil moisture conservation to improve water retention
- Treatment of degraded forest patches to restore vegetation cover
- Improving tree cover in agricultural landscapes through agroforestry initiatives
- Plantation on farm bunds to reduce wind erosion and enhance soil stability
"The restoration strategy will focus on soil moisture conservation, treatment of degraded forest patches and improving tree cover in agricultural landscapes," said another official involved in the program. "Agroforestry and plantation on farm bunds will be encouraged to reduce wind erosion and improve soil stability."
Comprehensive Land Assessment and Community Involvement
Across Rajasthan, Udaipur, Nagaur, Alwar, Rajsamand, Sikar, Pali and Ajmer together account for more than 500,000 hectares of degraded land requiring intervention. The state also has over 243,000 hectares of rocky terrain that may not be suitable for ecological restoration but requires regulation due to mining pressure.
The study further identified nearly 400,000 hectares of degraded agricultural land affected by wind and water erosion. Restoration efforts in these areas will concentrate on improved water management and strengthening the farm ecosystem.
Officials emphasized that the program will follow a village-level participatory approach, with detailed assessments of:
- Land use patterns
- Water resources availability
- Agricultural practices
- Forest conditions
District proposals will be prepared under the supervision of district collectors and interdepartmental committees, while the forest department will oversee work in recorded forest areas.
"Local communities will play a central role in the restoration effort, from planning to monitoring," an official stated. "The aim is to revive the ecological health of the Aravalli landscape while also improving water availability, pasture and livelihoods in the region."
This ambitious restoration initiative represents a critical response to the ecological challenges facing the Aravalli region, with Rajasthan at the forefront of implementation efforts to rehabilitate one of India's most important mountain ecosystems.
