Green Protection to Aravalli | 23 Jul 2022

Why in News?

Recently, the Supreme Court of India extended Green Protection to forest land in Aravalli ranges.

• The court’s ruling will mean around 30,000 hectares across the Aravallis and Shivaliks in Haryana will be considered forest land.

What is the Supreme Court Ruling?

• The Supreme Court held that all land covered by the special orders issued under Section 4 of the Punjab Land Preservation Act (PLPA) in Haryana will be treated as forests and be entitled to protection under the 1980 Forest Conservation Act.
  • Such land covered under Section 4 can see no commercial activity or non-forest use without the consent of the central government.
• It also stated that land covered by the special orders issued under Section 4 of PLPA have all the trappings of forest lands within the meaning of Section 2 of the Forest Act.
• The court directed the state government to clear any non-forest activity from such land in three months and report compliance.
• The bench considered a September 2018 judgment which held all land under PLPA could be treated as forest.
  • The recent verdict clarified that the previous judgment failed to closely examine the scheme of Section 4 of PLPA and its legal effect in relation to Section 2 of the Forest Act.

What are Section 4 of PLPA & Section 2 of Forest Act?

• Section 4 of the Punjab Land Preservation Act (PLPA):
  • Special orders under Section 4 of PLPA are the restrictive provisions issued by the state government to prevent deforestation of a specified area that could lead to soil erosion.
  • When the state government is satisfied that deforestation of a forest area forming part of a larger area is likely to lead to erosion of soil, the power under Section 4 can be exercised.
    • Therefore, the specific land which a special order under Section 4 of PLPA has been issued will have all the trappings of a forest governed by the Forest Act.
  • While the land notified under the special orders of Section 4 of PLPA shall be forest lands, not all land under PLPA will ipso facto become forest lands within the meaning of the Forest Act.
• Section 2 of the Forest Act:
  • Section 2 of the Forest Act imposes prohibitions on the de-reservation of forests or use of forest land for non-forest purposes without prior approval of the central government.
    • Once a land is covered under Section 2 of the Forest Act, whether the special orders under Section 4 continue to be in force or not, it shall continue to remain forest land.

What do we need to know about Aravalli Range?

• About the Aravalli Range:
  • Location:
    • They stretch for a distance of about 720 km from Himmatnagar in Gujarat to Delhi, spanning Haryana and Rajasthan.
  • Formation:
    • The Aravallis date back to millions of years when a pre-Indian subcontinent collided with the mainland Eurasian Plate.
  • Age:
    • Carbon dating has shown that copper and other metals mined in the ranges date back to at least the 5th century BC.
  • Characteristics:
    • The Aravallis of Northwestern India, one of the oldest fold mountains of the world, now form residual mountains with an elevation of 300m to 900m.
    • Guru Shikhar Peak on Mount Abu is the highest peak in the Aravalli Range (1,722 m).
    • It has been formed primarily of folded crust, when two convergent plates move towards each other by the process called orogenic movement.
  • Extension:
    • The mountains are divided into two main ranges – the Sambhar Sirohi Range and the Sambhar Khetri Range in Rajasthan, where their extension is about 560 km.
    • The hidden limb of the Aravallis that extends from Delhi to Haridwar creates a divide between the drainage of rivers of the Ganga and the Indus.
• Their Significance:
  • Checks Desertification:
    • The Aravallis act as a barrier between the fertile plains in the east and the sandy desert in the west.
    • Historically, it is said that the Aravalli range checked the spread of the Thar desert towards the Indo-Gangetic plains, serving as a catchment of rivers and plains.
  • Rich in Biodiversity:
    • Provides habitat to 300 native plant species, 120 bird species and many exclusive animals like the jackal and mongoose.
  • Impacts Climate:
    • Aravallis have an impact upon the climate of northwest India and beyond.
    • During monsoons, it provides a barrier and monsoon clouds move eastwards towards Shimla and Nainital, thus helping nurture the sub-Himalayan rivers and feeding the north Indian plains.
    • In the winter months, it protects the fertile alluvial river valleys from the cold westerly winds from Central Asia.

Source: HT