The Reason India's Aravalli Mountain Range Are at the Centre of Escalating Unrest.
Demonstrations have broken out across northern India after the Supreme Court issued a new definition for the Aravalli hills – among the planet's most ancient geological formations stretching across the states of Rajasthan, Haryana, Gujarat, and Delhi.
According to the fresh parameters, endorsed by the court following federal government recommendations, an Aravalli hill is any landform rising at least 100 metres (328 ft) above the surrounding terrain. A cluster of such hills less than half a kilometre of each other, along with the land between them, are deemed to be an Aravalli range.
Conservationists contend that defining Aravalli hills by height risks leaving many lower, scrub-covered but vitally important hills vulnerable to mining and construction.
The central administration, on the other hand, states that the revised definition is meant to strengthen regulation and establish consistency and not dilute safeguards.
The Roots of the Unrest
This weekend, calm demonstrations took place in cities such as Gurugram and Udaipur, organized by community members, farmers, environmental activists, and, at times, lawyers and political parties.
A founder member of a key conservation collective commented that the new definition threatens to compromise the critical role of the Aravalli range in "preventing desertification, recharging groundwater and protecting livelihoods" in the northwestern region.
The lower, scrub-covered hills play a vital role in stopping desert creep, recharging groundwater and supporting livelihoods according to experts.
"The Aravalli range should not be defined solely by elevation, but by its ecological, geological and climatic purpose," noted an ecology advocate involved in the movement to save the Aravallis.
He said that, internationally, mountains and hill systems are classified by the functions they perform, not by arbitrary elevation thresholds.
"Any landform that is structurally a component of the Aravalli system and plays a critical role in ecology or preventing desertification must be acknowledged as a component of the system, irrespective of its height."
Protesters are calling for that the government delineate Aravalli areas using scientific criteria, including topography, ecology, wildlife connectivity and climate resilience.
A campaigner cautioned that the court's new definition could encourage mining, construction and commercial activity, increasing the threat of environmental harm.
Political opponents have stepped up criticism, cautioning that the new definition might lead to significant environmental degradation.
A senior politician declared that safeguarding the Aravallis is "fundamentally linked to Delhi's survival." Another leader described the range the state's "life-support system," stating that without it, "the entire area up to Delhi would have become a desert."
The Government's Stance
India's central government has sought to downplay these concerns.
In a recent statement, it asserted the new definition is meant to bolster governance and create standardization, noting that a clear, unambiguous definition was needed to regulate mining consistently across states.
It further stated that the new definition encompasses the entire hill system – incorporating slopes, related features, and intervening areas – clearly safeguarding hill clusters and their linkages.
The federal environment ministry clarified it is wrong to assume that mining will be permitted on all landforms under 100 metres.
The government says areas within the Aravalli hills or ranges are not eligible for new mining leases, while current operations can continue if they adhere to environmentally sound practices.
It added that mining remains prohibited in core "protected" areas – reserved woodlands, eco-sensitive zones, and wetlands – except for certain essential, national security, and nuclear minerals allowed by law.
The minister responsible for ecology said only about two percent of the 147,000 sqkm Aravalli range might be open to extraction, and only after detailed studies and formal clearance.
However, many of the demonstrating organizations contend that demonstrations will continue and that they are considering legal options to contest the court's new definition.