Aravalli Range, Salient Features, Importance, Initiatives

Aravalli Range stretches from Gujarat in the southwest to Delhi in the northeast. It is among the oldest mountain systems in the world. These hills are shaped by ancient geological processes and are rich in minerals and biodiversity. They support dry deciduous forests, wildlife habitats, and important river systems.

The Aravalli range is steeped in history, with many forts, temples, and palaces built by Rajput kingdoms like Mewar and Marwar. Today, however, the range faces growing threats from mining, deforestation, and urbanisation.

Aravalli Range About

The Aravalli Range is one of the oldest fold mountains on Earth. It extends over 800 kilometres from Gujarat in the southwest to Delhi in the northeast, passing through Rajasthan and Haryana.

• Geographical Division: The Aravalli Range is divided into two main sections: the Sambhar–Sirohi range, the taller part that includes Mount Abu, and the Sambhar–Khetri range, consisting of discontinuous ridges.
• Rock composition: The range is made of ancient granite, gneiss, quartzite, marble, and schist, preserving some of the earliest records of Earth’s geological history.
• Natural Barrier: The Aravalli Range Mountains act as a natural shield, protecting the fertile plains of eastern Rajasthan from the westward spread of the Thar Desert.
• Climate: The terrain includes rocky ridges, hills, valleys, plateaus, and forested tracts, with an arid to semi-arid climate that varies with rainfall, elevation, and proximity to the desert.

Aravalli Range Formation

The Aravalli Range formation happened during the Proterozoic Eon, over 1.8 billion years ago, through tectonic collisions between the Bundelkhand and Marwar cratons.

• Origin: Its origin began around 2.2 billion years ago with the rifting of the Bhilwara Gneissic Complex, forming basins that accumulated sediments and volcanic material, eventually giving rise to the Aravalli Supergroup.
• Formation Process: During the Aravalli Orogeny (~1.8 billion years ago), these sediments were compressed and uplifted, while later tectonic activity during the Delhi Orogeny (~1.1 billion years ago) further shaped the northern Aravalli rocks of the Delhi Supergroup.
• Current Form: Over millions of years, erosion and weathering have reduced its peaks to the low ridges and hills seen today.

Aravalli Range Salient Features

The Aravalli Range Mountains comprise irregular hills and ridges, generally ranging from 300 to 900 metres in elevation. The highest peak of the Aravalli Range is Guru Shikhar in Mount Abu (1,722 metres). It hosts a diverse flora comprising predominantly dry deciduous and thorny scrub forests, with important tree species.

• Flora: The Aravalli Range is dominated by dry deciduous forests and thorny scrub. Common tree species include Dhok, Babool, Neem, Khejri, Salai, and Kareel, while flowering plants such as roses, bougainvillaea, and hibiscus add to its botanical diversity.
• Fauna: These forests support a variety of mammals, including leopards, striped hyenas, jackals, nilgai, hares, civets, mongooses, and porcupines.
  • Birds such as peafowl, barbets, babblers, bee-eaters, cuckoos, drongos, and migratory species like the Indian pitta are abundant.
  • The region also hosts reptiles and amphibians, including cobras, kraits, monitor lizards, and frogs.
• Wildlife Corridors: Key corridors, including the Sariska–Delhi and Northern Aravalli Leopard Corridors, connect Rajasthan to the Delhi Ridge, covering areas like Ferozpur Jhirka–Nuh, Faridabad–Gurugram, and Farrukhnagar.
• Rivers: The range is drained by seasonal rivers, including the Luni, Banas, and Sahibi, and contains important lakes like Sambhar, Sultanpur, Pushkar, Fateh Sagar, and Jaisamand.
• Minerals: It is also rich in mineral resources such as zinc, lead, silver, marble, gemstones, gypsum, and building stone.

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Aravalli Range Importance

Aravalli Range Mountains are not only one of the oldest mountain ranges in the world but also a lifeline for north-western India. Their significance lies in their ecological, climatic, hydrological, and historical roles, which make them indispensable for both people and the environment.

• Ecological Barrier: The encroaching Thar Desert is repelled by the green shield of the Aravallis. By blocking desert winds and limiting the spread of sand, they help to prevent widespread desertification in Delhi, Haryana, and the Indo-Gangetic plains.
• Water Security: The Aravalli range supports rivers including the Sahibi, Banas, and Luni, and serves as a vital groundwater recharge area. These water systems sustain downstream ecosystems, drinking water supplies, and agriculture. Water shortages in already arid areas would worsen in the absence of the Aravallis.
• Climate Regulation: The Aravallis play an important role in shaping the climate of northwest India and nearby regions. During the monsoon, they guide clouds eastwards towards Shimla and Nainital, which helps nourish sub-Himalayan rivers and supports the fertile north Indian plains.
  • In winter, the range acts as a barrier, protecting the Para-Indus and Gangetic valleys from cold winds coming from Central Asia.
  • By controlling wind and reducing dust storms, they also improve air quality in cities like Delhi and Gurugram, earning the name "green lungs" of the region.
• Biodiversity Hotspot: The Aravallis serve as a wildlife corridor that connects disparate habitats and provides habitat to a wide range of species, including rare plants, hyenas, and leopards.
• Historical and Cultural Value: The ranges are a part of India's geological and cultural legacy since they maintain remnants of past mining practices, ancient villages, and sacred locations like Mount Abu and Mangar Bani.

Aravalli Range Conservation Initiatives

Aravalli Range protection and restoration are going through several efforts, including court rulings, government policies, and community-based initiatives. These focus on inclusively protecting the Aravalli range mountains to revive biodiversity and strengthen the ecosystem’s resilience.

• Aravalli Green Wall Initiative: The initiative started on World Environment Day 2025 and aims to rejuvenate a 700-km stretch of the Aravalli by restoring 1.1 million hectares of degraded land by 2027.
• Aravalli Landscape Restoration Action Plan: The action plan emphasises science-based, community-driven restoration to enhance soil health, water availability, and climate resilience through coordinated efforts of states and local communities.
• State-Level Interventions: The Aravali Safari Park Project in Haryana is adding strength to broader conservation efforts. Haryana has created perennial water sources for wildlife by linking village pipelines to ephemeral pits.
  • The Punjab Land Preservation Act (PLPA), 1900, and the Indian Forest Act provide statutory protection to its forested areas.
• Judicial Intervention: Supreme Court of India rulings, such as T.N. Godavarman Thirumulpad (1996), extend forest protection to all forest lands, including unnotified areas.

Aravalli Range Related Concerns

The Aravalli Range Mountains are under mounting ecological and developmental stress. Rampant mining, deforestation, and unchecked urban expansion have negatively impacted these ranges. Weak enforcement and policy gaps have deepened the crisis.

• Environmental Degradation: Mining, forest loss, and rapid urbanisation, especially near Delhi–Gurugram, have reduced soil fertility, increased desertification risk, and altered local climate, aiding the eastward spread of the Thar Desert.
• Loss of Biodiversity and Human-Wildlife Conflict: Shrinking habitats force leopards, hyenas, and jackals into settlements, while rare plant species are also disappearing.
• Water Depletion: Once key groundwater recharge zones, the Aravallis are losing water-holding capacity.
  • Over-extraction of groundwater in Jaipur and Alwar and the drying of rivers like the Sahibi and Banas worsen scarcity.
• Policy and Implementation Gaps: Despite repeated Supreme Court interventions, illegal mining and encroachments continue. Fragmented institutions and the absence of a dedicated authority have left conservation measures ineffective.