Aravallis – Significance & Recent Controversy – Explained Pointwise

The recent SC order regarding the Aravalli Range & mining in the region has stirred the controversy. The order that adopted a uniform definition to identify the “hills & ranges” & froze the new mining leases until the MoEFCC had prepared a sustainable mining plan for the landscape, and said mining should be prohibited in the “core” areas, with an exception for critical, strategic & atomic minerals notified under MMDR Act – which the court has called a ‘strategic exemption’.

What are Aravallis?

• The Aravallis (or Aravalli Range) are one of the oldest mountain systems in the world (>2bn years old), predating even the Himalayas.
• They are a series of ancient fold mountains that act as the “ecological spine” of Northwest India.
• The range stretches approximately 670 to 800 km in a northeast-to-southwest direction.
• States Covered: It spans four major regions: Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan, and Gujarat.
• Highest Point: The highest peak is Guru Shikhar on Mount Abu in Rajasthan, standing at 1,722 meters (5,650 feet).
• While they were once as high as the Himalayas, millions of years of weathering and erosion have reduced them to “residual” mountains or hills.
• The range is primarily made of metamorphic rocks like quartzite, marble, and granite. It is a major source of minerals including copper, zinc, lead, and high-quality marble.

What is the significance of Aravallis?

What is the recent controversy regarding the Aravallis?

• The controversy revolves around a recent Supreme Court ruling that redefined what technically qualifies as an “Aravalli hill,” sparking fears that vast portions of the range could lose legal protection.
• In November 2025, a Supreme Court bench led by the then Chief Justice accepted a new uniform definition for the Aravalli Hills.
• According to the new definition accepted by the SC, only landforms rising 100 metres or more above the local ground level were to be legally classified as “Aravalli Hills.”
• The government argued this provided a “scientific and uniform” standard to replace the vague definitions that varied across Rajasthan, Haryana, Gujarat, and Delhi.
• Environmentalists, scientists, and local communities immediately protested the ruling, leading to the #SaveAravalli movement.

What are the concerns raised against the SC order?

1. The “100-Metre” Exclusion:
   • According to an internal assessment by the Forest Survey of India (FSI), this definition would exclude nearly 90% to 92% of the Aravalli system.
   • Unlike the “young” Himalayas, the Aravallis are ancient and heavily eroded. Most of their ecological value lies in low-lying ridges and hillocks that are much shorter than 100 metres but serve as critical barriers and water recharge zones.
   • Critics also argue that the committee suggesting this definition was dominated by bureaucrats rather than independent ecologists, leading to accusations of “pro-industry” bias.
2. Fragmentation of the “Green Barrier”:
   • The order defined a “range” as two or more such 100-metre hills within 500 metres of each other. Critics argued this creates a “structural paradox.” By protecting only the “peaks,” the valleys and lower slopes between them could be opened for mining or construction. 
   • Breaking the continuity of the range creates “gaps” through which the sands of the Thar Desert can drift into the fertile plains of Haryana and Delhi, accelerating desertification.
3. Further Deterioration of Air Quality: Lower ridges below 100 metres are crucial as wind‑breaks; breaching them would open “gaps” in the Aravalli green wall, allowing dust and hot winds from the Thar Desert to sweep more freely into Delhi, Haryana and western UP.
4. Threat to Water Security: The lower hills & slopes are the most effective at groundwater recharge. These areas act as a “sponge” for rainwater. If they are de-classified as Aravallis and handed over for real estate or mining, it could lead to a catastrophic drop in the water table for cities like Gurugram, Faridabad, and Delhi, which are already water-stressed.
5. Opening the Door to Mining: If a hill is less than 100 metres tall, it would no longer be legally protected as “Aravalli land.” This would allow state governments to grant mining leases in areas previously considered sensitive.
6. Contradiction of Previous Jurisprudence: Since the early 2000s, the Supreme Court has traditionally used a 3-degree slope criterion (any land with a slope steeper than 3 degrees) to identify hills. Moving to a height-based threshold was seen as a major “U-turn” that ignored decades of established environmental law.

The Court has stayed its November 2025 judgment & proposed a high‑powered expert committee and frozen the use of the 100‑metre definition until a full, scientific and holistic reassessment of Aravalli protection is completed.

What can be the way forward to save the Aravallis?

1. Re-defining “The Range” Scientifically:
   • The 3-Degree Slope Rule: Reverting to the Forest Survey of India’s (FSI) long-standing recommendation to define a hill based on its slope (>3°) rather than its absolute height. This protects the low-lying ridges that are functionally vital.
   • Landscape Continuity: Defining the Aravallis as a continuous geological unit. Instead of protecting isolated “peaks,” the valleys, foothills, and small hillocks between them must be treated as a single, protected ecosystem.
2. The Management Plan for Sustainable Mining (MPSM): The Supreme Court has mandated the Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education (ICFRE) to create a master plan – which includes:
   • No-Go Zones: Permanent bans on mining in “inviolate” areas like tiger corridors (Sariska-Delhi), wetlands, and groundwater recharge zones.
   • Calibrated Extraction: Allowing mining only for critical minerals (like copper or zinc) in designated, low-impact zones, rather than a blanket ban which often leads to the rise of illegal “sand mafias.”
   • Restoration Bonds: Requiring mining companies to deposit funds upfront for the mandatory ecological restoration of a site once mining is completed.
3. The Aravalli Green Wall Project (2026-2030): This massive restoration project is the primary “offensive” strategy to save the range:
   • The 5-km Buffer: Creating a continuous green belt across 29 districts in four states to block the eastward march of the Thar Desert.
   • Native Species Reforestation: Moving away from monoculture plantations and planting native species like Kikar, Dhok, and Salai that can survive with minimal water and provide a habitat for local wildlife.
   • Rejuvenating Water Bodies: Using ancient techniques like Johads (check dams) to catch rainwater within the hills to recharge the drying aquifers of Gurugram and Delhi.
4. Technological Oversight:
   • Satellite Monitoring: Using real-time GIS and satellite imagery to track changes in hill volume and forest cover.
   • Drone Patrols: Deploying “Anti-Mining Task Forces” equipped with drones to monitor remote parts of the range that are otherwise inaccessible.
5. Community-Led Conservation:
   • Eco-Tourism: Promoting sustainable trekking and nature parks (like the Gurugram Biodiversity Park) to create local jobs that don’t depend on mining.
   • Village Forest Committees: Empowering local communities (Van Mitras) to protect the hills, as they are the first to feel the impact of falling water tables and leopard sightings.