The ancient Aravalli mountain range, often described as North India's green lung, faces an unprecedented threat that could reduce its protected area by a staggering 90% in Rajasthan. This ecological crisis stems from a recent Supreme Court decision that accepted a controversial height-based definition proposed by a Union Environment Ministry panel.
The Height Filter That Could Decimate a Mountain System
Last week, the Supreme Court endorsed a recommendation that only landforms standing 100 metres or higher should be considered part of the Aravalli mountain system for mining purposes. This decision dramatically departs from the mapping standards established by the Forest Survey of India (FSI), which had identified 12,081 Aravalli hills measuring 20 metres or higher.
An investigation reveals the devastating impact of this new criteria: merely 1,048 of the 12,081 hills previously recognized by FSI would qualify as protected Aravalli territory under the 100-metre threshold. The Aravalli range stretches approximately 700 kilometres from eastern Gujarat through Rajasthan and Delhi to southern Haryana, serving crucial ecological functions that now stand compromised.
Ecological Consequences of Shrinking Protection
The Aravallis perform multiple vital environmental services that safeguard northern India's ecological balance. The mountain system acts as a natural barrier against desertification, slowing the eastward advance of the Thar Desert toward the fertile Indo-Gangetic plains. Additionally, it serves as a critical air quality moderator, reducing the velocity of hot winds that would otherwise carry pollution into the National Capital Region.
Environmental experts express grave concerns that the new definition could trigger accelerated damage to India's oldest mountain system. A 2018 survey by the SC's Central Empowered Committee had already documented that the Aravalli had lost one-fourth of its hills to various development pressures. The Court has directed the environment ministry to develop a sustainable mining plan for the declassified areas, but conservationists worry this approach contradicts the ministry's own restoration initiatives.
Contradiction in Environmental Policy
The environment ministry's position appears inconsistent with its recently formulated Aravalli Landscape Restoration Action Plan from May 2025. This comprehensive plan explicitly acknowledges the need to protect the mountain range from threats including deforestation, mining, grazing, and human encroachment. The document specifically highlights how the eastward movement of desert sands has already compromised ecosystems in regions like Gurugram and Alwar.
Since 2002, Supreme Court rulings have consistently recognized that all hills, plateaus, plains and ridges in the Aravalli function as an integrated single ecosystem. A 2018 judgment by a two-judge bench notably observed that in the absence of the hillocks, winds would bring pollution to the national capital, underscoring the range's importance in maintaining air quality.
The Court's acceptance of the government's height filter threatens to reduce the Aravallis to scattered, isolated hills rather than the continuous protective barrier they currently represent. This decision marks a departure from the judiciary's otherwise formidable record in advancing environmental protection in India. The preservation of North India's vital ecological shield now urgently requires the Supreme Court's renewed attention and protective intervention.
