Region risks losing vegetation: Study

While a recent survey by the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) has shown an increase in the number of animals in the Aravallis, unchecked deforestation and development activities have led to significant shrinkage in the forest cover.

Because of excessive run off and soil erosion, the Aravalli region risks ending up as barren mountains devoid of vegetation, said the survey by the WII, Dehradun.

Apart from assessing the presence of wildlife population in the area, the survey also mapped land cover pattern of the Aravallis in the state. This was important as the state has less than 4% green cover and there is an urgent need to increase the forest area. Also, the Aravalli ranges in the Gurgaon district in Haryana along with Alwar district of Rajasthan have been notified (May 1992) as ecologically sensitive areas. Therefore in-depth study of the area is essential, the survey said.

According to the survey, the Aravalli ranges are not continuous and the mountains checked the expansion of the desert area till it was densely forested. The denudation of forests along the northern and central Aravalli tracts is causing the advancement of the desert area, particularly in areas between the ranges, with increasing intensity of dust storms, the report said.

Evaluating the present scenario, the WII officials called for removal of weeds as it will facilitate the process of restoration and preservation of the green landscape.