On World Environment Day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will kickstart the ‘Aravalli Green Wall’ campaign with a tree plantation drive at Delhi’s Bhagwan Mahavir Vanasthali Park in the Ridge area on Thursday morning.

Taking forward his commitment to the ‘Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam’ initiative launched last year, PM Modi will plant a banyan sapling this year as part of the expanded ‘Aravalli Green Wall’ project. Last year, he planted a peepal tree, which has reportedly grown well, according to an official source.

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Stretching nearly 700 km, the Aravalli range cuts across Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan, and Gujarat — and the Chief Ministers of all four states will join the campaign at selected sites, lending support to the government’s efforts to protect this ancient mountain range.

“The renewed push to create a continuous green belt from Delhi to Gujarat will act as a natural barrier against desertification and aid groundwater recharge across the Indo-Gangetic plains,” said an official.

According to senior officials in the Environment Ministry, 29 districts across the four Aravalli states have been identified for large-scale landscape restoration. The initiative includes planting native tree species, expanding water catchment areas, reviving grasslands, developing wildlife corridors, setting up nurseries, and removing invasive species like Prosopis juliflora.

Local panchayats, urban bodies, NGOs, and educational institutions will be roped in to support the restoration efforts. Beyond planting new trees, the initiative prioritises preserving indigenous species to help sustain the Aravallis’ native ecosystem. Nearly 1,000 nurseries are planned across the 29 identified districts to support this effort.

A major focus will also be on removing invasive species that have contributed to the mountain range’s decline. The Aravallis, stretching over 700 km, are home to 22 wildlife sanctuaries, four tiger reserves, and several bird parks—making their revival not just an environmental concern, but a national imperative.