Relevance:
Recently, the Supreme Court of India extended Green Protection to forest land in Aravalli ranges.
News Summary:
- The court’s ruling will mean around 30,000 hectares across the Aravallis and Shivaliks in Haryana will be considered forest land.
- Such land covered under Section 4 of Punjab Land Preservation Act (PLPA) can see no commercial activity or non-forest use without the consent of the central government.
- The court directed the state government to clear any non-forest activity from such land in three months and report compliance.
About the Aravalli Range:
- Geographical Location: Himmatnagar in Gujarat to Delhi, spanning Haryana and Rajasthan.
- Formation: Collision of pre-Indian subcontinent with the mainland Eurasian Plate.
- They are residual mountains with an elevation of 300m to 900m.
- Highest Peak: Guru Shikhar Peak on Mount Abu (1,722 m).
- 2 main ranges: Sambhar Sirohi Range and the Sambhar Khetri Range in Rajasthan
- The hidden limb of the Aravallis that extends from Delhi to Haridwar creates a divide between the drainage of rivers of the Ganga and the Indus.
- Barrier between the fertile plains in the east and the sandy desert in the west.
Reference: Hindustan Times
