🔗 Share this article The Reason India's Aravalli Mountain Range Have Become the Epicenter of Growing Demonstrations. A panoramic shot of a section of the Aravalli region in Rajasthan. Unrest has flared across the northern part of the country after the nation's top court redefined the Aravalli hills – one of the world's oldest geological formations spanning the states of Rajasthan, Haryana, Gujarat, and the capital territory. As per the revised criteria, accepted by the court based on central government recommendations, an Aravalli hill is any landform with a minimum elevation of 100 metres (328 ft) above the adjacent land. A cluster of such hills within 500 metres of each other, combined with the land between them, are considered an Aravalli range. Environmentalists argue that classifying Aravalli hills based on elevation potentially excludes many shorter, vegetation-clad but ecologically critical hills vulnerable to mining and construction. The federal government, however, maintains that the revised definition is intended to strengthen regulation and bring uniformity and not weaken protections. Several protesters in Gurugram city near Delhi hold signs to save the Aravallis. Why are People Protesting? This weekend, peaceful protests were held in cities including Gurugram and Udaipur, organized by community members, farmers, green activists, and, in some cases, lawyers and political parties. An organizing member of a prominent environmental group stated that the new definition risks undermining the critical role of the Aravalli range in "preventing desertification, recharging groundwater and protecting livelihoods" in the northwestern region. The lower, scrub-covered hills perform a crucial function in stopping desert creep, recharging groundwater and supporting livelihoods according to experts. "This mountain system should not be defined by height alone, but by its environmental, physical and weather-related role," said an ecology advocate associated with the campaign to save the Aravallis. He said that, globally, mountains and hill systems are classified by the functions they perform, not by random height benchmarks. "Any landform that is geologically part of the Aravalli system and serves a vital purpose in ecology or preventing desertification should be recognised as a component of the system, irrespective of its height." Activists are demanding that the government delineate Aravalli areas using scientific criteria, encompassing geography, biodiversity, wildlife connectivity and environmental durability. A campaigner cautioned that the court's new definition might promote extractive industries, development and business projects, heightening the threat of ecological damage. Opposition parties have ramped up their censure, cautioning that the new definition might lead to significant environmental degradation. A senior politician said that safeguarding the Aravallis is "inseparable from Delhi's survival." Another leader called the range the state's "life-support system," stating that without it, "the entire area up to Delhi would have turned into a desert." The Government's Stance India's central government has sought to downplay these apprehensions. In a recent communication, it asserted the new definition is meant to bolster governance and bring uniformity, noting that a clear, unambiguous definition was needed to regulate mining uniformly across states. It added that the new definition encompasses the entire hill system – including slopes, related features, and connecting zones – explicitly protecting hill clusters and their linkages. The federal environment ministry said it is incorrect to presume that mining will be allowed on all landforms under 100 metres. The government states areas inside the Aravalli hills or ranges are excluded from new mining leases, while existing ones can continue if they follow sustainable mining norms. It added that mining remains prohibited in core "protected" areas – reserved woodlands, environmentally fragile zones, and wetlands – aside from certain critical, strategic, and atomic minerals permitted by law. The minister responsible for ecology indicated only about two percent of the vast Aravalli range could potentially be mined, and only after detailed studies and official approval. Nevertheless, many of the protesting groups contend that demonstrations will continue and that they are considering judicial avenues to contest the court's new definition.
A panoramic shot of a section of the Aravalli region in Rajasthan. Unrest has flared across the northern part of the country after the nation's top court redefined the Aravalli hills – one of the world's oldest geological formations spanning the states of Rajasthan, Haryana, Gujarat, and the capital territory. As per the revised criteria, accepted by the court based on central government recommendations, an Aravalli hill is any landform with a minimum elevation of 100 metres (328 ft) above the adjacent land. A cluster of such hills within 500 metres of each other, combined with the land between them, are considered an Aravalli range. Environmentalists argue that classifying Aravalli hills based on elevation potentially excludes many shorter, vegetation-clad but ecologically critical hills vulnerable to mining and construction. The federal government, however, maintains that the revised definition is intended to strengthen regulation and bring uniformity and not weaken protections. Several protesters in Gurugram city near Delhi hold signs to save the Aravallis. Why are People Protesting? This weekend, peaceful protests were held in cities including Gurugram and Udaipur, organized by community members, farmers, green activists, and, in some cases, lawyers and political parties. An organizing member of a prominent environmental group stated that the new definition risks undermining the critical role of the Aravalli range in "preventing desertification, recharging groundwater and protecting livelihoods" in the northwestern region. The lower, scrub-covered hills perform a crucial function in stopping desert creep, recharging groundwater and supporting livelihoods according to experts. "This mountain system should not be defined by height alone, but by its environmental, physical and weather-related role," said an ecology advocate associated with the campaign to save the Aravallis. He said that, globally, mountains and hill systems are classified by the functions they perform, not by random height benchmarks. "Any landform that is geologically part of the Aravalli system and serves a vital purpose in ecology or preventing desertification should be recognised as a component of the system, irrespective of its height." Activists are demanding that the government delineate Aravalli areas using scientific criteria, encompassing geography, biodiversity, wildlife connectivity and environmental durability. A campaigner cautioned that the court's new definition might promote extractive industries, development and business projects, heightening the threat of ecological damage. Opposition parties have ramped up their censure, cautioning that the new definition might lead to significant environmental degradation. A senior politician said that safeguarding the Aravallis is "inseparable from Delhi's survival." Another leader called the range the state's "life-support system," stating that without it, "the entire area up to Delhi would have turned into a desert." The Government's Stance India's central government has sought to downplay these apprehensions. In a recent communication, it asserted the new definition is meant to bolster governance and bring uniformity, noting that a clear, unambiguous definition was needed to regulate mining uniformly across states. It added that the new definition encompasses the entire hill system – including slopes, related features, and connecting zones – explicitly protecting hill clusters and their linkages. The federal environment ministry said it is incorrect to presume that mining will be allowed on all landforms under 100 metres. The government states areas inside the Aravalli hills or ranges are excluded from new mining leases, while existing ones can continue if they follow sustainable mining norms. It added that mining remains prohibited in core "protected" areas – reserved woodlands, environmentally fragile zones, and wetlands – aside from certain critical, strategic, and atomic minerals permitted by law. The minister responsible for ecology indicated only about two percent of the vast Aravalli range could potentially be mined, and only after detailed studies and official approval. Nevertheless, many of the protesting groups contend that demonstrations will continue and that they are considering judicial avenues to contest the court's new definition.