Why The Nation's Aravalli Mountain Range Are at the Centre of Growing Unrest.

Unrest has flared across northern India after the nation's top court issued a new definition for the Aravalli hills – one of the world's oldest geological formations stretching across the states of Rajasthan, Haryana, Gujarat, and the capital territory.

As per the revised criteria, endorsed by the court following central government recommendations, an Aravalli hill is any landform with a minimum elevation of 100 metres (328 ft) above the surrounding terrain. Two or more such hills less than half a kilometre of each other, along with the land between them, are classified as an Aravalli range.

Conservationists contend that defining Aravalli hills based on elevation risks leaving many shorter, vegetation-clad but vitally important hills unprotected from mining and construction.

The central administration, however, maintains that the revised definition is meant to enhance oversight and establish consistency and not weaken safeguards.

The Roots of the Unrest

Recently, calm demonstrations were held in cities such as Gurugram and Udaipur, organized by local residents, farmers, green activists, and, at times, lawyers and political groups.

A founder member of a prominent environmental group stated that the new definition threatens to compromise the essential function of the Aravalli range in "halting desert expansion, replenishing aquifers and safeguarding local economies" 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.

"This mountain system must not be categorized solely by elevation, but by its environmental, physical and weather-related role," said an environmental activist associated with the campaign to preserve the Aravallis.

He added that, globally, mountains and hill systems are classified by the functions they perform, not by random height benchmarks.

"Any landform that is structurally a component of the Aravalli system and serves a vital purpose in ecology or combating desertification must be acknowledged as a component of the system, regardless of its height."

Activists are demanding that the government define Aravalli areas using research-based parameters, encompassing geography, biodiversity, animal corridors and climate resilience.

A campaigner cautioned that the court's new definition might promote mining, construction and commercial activity, increasing the risk of environmental harm.

Opposition parties have stepped up criticism, warning that the new definition might lead to serious ecological damage.

A senior politician said that protecting the Aravallis is "fundamentally linked to Delhi's survival." A different official described the range the state's "life-support system," stating that without it, "the entire area up to Delhi would have turned into a desert."

Official Position

India's central government has attempted to minimize these concerns.

In a recent statement, it asserted the new definition is intended to strengthen regulation and bring uniformity, noting that a clear, unambiguous definition was required to regulate mining consistently across states.

It added that the new definition covers 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 incorrect to presume that mining will be allowed on all landforms under 100 metres.

The government states areas within the Aravalli hills or ranges are not eligible for new mining leases, while current operations can continue if they follow environmentally sound practices.

It added that mining remains banned in core "inviolate" areas – reserved woodlands, environmentally fragile zones, and wetlands – aside from certain critical, strategic, and atomic minerals allowed by law.

The Environment Minister said only about two percent of the vast Aravalli range might be open to extraction, and only after comprehensive assessments and formal clearance.

Nevertheless, several of the demonstrating organizations contend that demonstrations will continue and that they are considering legal options to contest the court's new definition.