If not faith, then hope |
The Aravalli range has played a decisive role in checking the spread of the desert. Its medium-height hills help steer monsoon rain-bearing clouds
If these hills continue to disappear, rainfall patterns in north-west India could change
Dust storms would turn farmland barren, putting farmers’ livelihoods at risk
The Supreme Court has constituted a nine-member committee for the Aravalli range — one of the world’s oldest mountain systems, spread across 37 districts in four states. There is little faith in this committee, but there is still some hope that an effort to save the Aravallis may finally begin. The crisis, in truth, runs deep.
Stretching about 692 km from Khed Brahma in Gujarat, the Aravalli range culminates at Raisina Hill in Delhi, the seat of the country’s most powerful institutions, including Rashtrapati Bhavan. The Aravallis are estimated to be around 650 million years old. Over the past four decades, large parts of the range have not only vanished entirely but, in many places, towering peaks have been replaced by pits nearly 150 feet deep.
To put this in perspective: at the end of the 20th century, around 80 per cent of the Aravallis were covered in greenery; today, that figure has shrunk to barely seven per cent.
As a result, mountain streams and small waterfalls have also disappeared. Leopards, deer and chinkara are increasingly entering human settlements in search of food, leading to a rise in human–wildlife conflict. Strong winds further increase such incursions.
Until now, the Aravallis have played a decisive role in halting the advance of the desert. They have also helped guide monsoon rain-bearing clouds. If these medium-height hills continue to disappear, rainfall patterns in north-west India could change. Already stressed by rising temperatures, these regions could see the 'heat island' effect spread to smaller towns. Dust storms would render agricultural land barren, threatening farmers’ livelihoods.
A study published in the international journal Earth Science Informatics has already warned that the disappearance of hills in the Aravalli range has led to an increase in sandstorms in Rajasthan. Places such as Bharatpur, Dholpur, Jaipur and Chittorgarh are facing more frequent........