First priority is to legally protect Aravalli landscapes from encroachments

To restore the Aravallis to their original glory, priority should be given to legally protecting these landscapes, freeing them of encroachments, and shielding them from mindless infrastructure development, said Vijay Dhasmana, curator of the Aravalli Biodiversity Park.

- Jayashree Nandi

NEW DELHI: Edited excerpts from an interview where the eco-restoration expert discusses why much of the Aravallis is degraded and how it can be nursed back.

How do you think degraded Aravallis can be restored ecologically?

Aravalli landscapes are very fragile, yet the forests and grasslands within them are remarkably resilient. Restoration in these areas requires a thorough understanding of the threats they face. The natural trajectory of land restoration follows the path of protection, ecological restoration, and long-term sustenance. In my view, the first priority is to legally protect these landscapes—guarding them against encroachments and diversion of land for uses such as settlements and infrastructure development.

We must take a landscape-level approach to restoring the Aravallis. The integrity of watersheds, forests, grasslands, savannahs, and waterbodies is of immense importance. Equally important is understanding the factors that led to their degradation, such as mining, encroachments, and land diversion for human settlement or commercial purposes. In recent years, we have seen vast tracts of Aravalli land being diverted for human use, including mining. Once these pressures are addressed, active or passive restoration can be undertaken.

To begin, I believe we must create native plant nurseries that grow species strictly native to the Aravallis. Not trees like neem, jamun, or bakain, but species like salar, dhok, dhak, dudhi, camrod, jhinjheri, and bistendu. Our 15 years of experience at the Aravalli Biodiversity Park, where we grew 130 native plant species, has shown that developing dedicated nurseries is the backbone of ecological restoration in these degraded hills.