Gandhinagar: Following the state-level celebration of World Environment Day 2025, a technical session was organized at Mahatma Mandir in Gandhinagar focusing on the ambitious “Green Wall of Aravalli” project. The session featured special addresses by Sanjeev Kumar, Principal Secretary of the Forest and Environment Department, and Dr. A.P. Singh, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests.

Speaking on the occasion, Sanjeev Kumar noted that World Environment Day is observed globally on June 5 every year. The United Nations has declared this year’s theme as “Ending Plastic Pollution.” In line with this theme, Kumar announced the launch of a statewide plastic collection campaign from June 6 to October 31, 2025, under the “National Plastic Pollution Elimination Campaign.”

“This massive initiative will bolster Gujarat’s commitment to environmental protection and sustainable development,” he said. “Public participation in this campaign will be key in shaping a green and pollution-free future.”

Dr. A.P. Singh shed light on the “Green Wall of Aravalli” project, inspired by Africa’s “Great Green Wall” initiative. The project aims to restore degraded ecosystems in the Aravalli range, which spans the districts of Aravalli, Banaskantha, Sabarkantha, and Mehsana in Gujarat, covering approximately 2.18 lakh hectares of forest area.

Launched by the Government of India in 2025, the initiative envisions a 1,400-kilometer-long and 5-kilometer-wide green belt along the Aravalli range to halt the eastward expansion of the Thar Desert. The project includes soil and moisture conservation activities like terracing, check dams, and bunding to prevent erosion and improve ecological balance.

In the first phase, the project targets the restoration of 8.16 lakh hectares of forest area nationwide, including 5,677 hectares in Gujarat. Over the past five years, more than 2.01 crore trees have been planted across the four Aravalli districts, rejuvenating 26,144 hectares of land. For the year 2025–26, the state plans to green an additional 8,422 hectares by planting 78.04 lakh saplings, Dr. Singh informed. DeshGujarat