Overview
- Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav launched the Sankala Foundation’s Aravalli study, conducted with support from the Embassy of Denmark and the Haryana State Forest Department.
- The report finds that roughly 20% of water bodies have disappeared and many remaining ponds are eutrophic, silted or seasonal, limiting groundwater recharge.
- Geospatial and field assessments highlight degraded, fragmented forest patches invaded by Prosopis juliflora, Lantana camara and Parthenium hysterophorus, suppressing native biodiversity.
- The study proposes a phased, community-inclusive restoration model piloted in four villages in southern Gurugram, with baseline assessments, targeted interventions and long-term monitoring.
- Findings note full dependence on groundwater for irrigation in the pilot area and heavy household reliance on forests, underscoring the need for water-retention measures and climate-resilient restoration.