The Reason The Nation's Aravalli Mountain Range Are at the Centre of Escalating Demonstrations.

Protests have erupted across northern India after the Supreme Court issued a new definition for the Aravalli hills – among the planet's most ancient mountain ranges stretching across the states of Rajasthan, Haryana, Gujarat, and Delhi.

As per the revised criteria, endorsed by the court following central government suggestions, an Aravalli hill is any geographical feature rising at least 100 metres (328 ft) from the surrounding terrain. A cluster of such hills less than half a kilometre of each other, combined with the land between them, are classified as an Aravalli range.

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

The central administration, however, states that the revised definition is meant to tighten controls and bring uniformity and not weaken protections.

Why are People Protesting?

Over the past few days, peaceful protests were held in cities including Gurugram and Udaipur, led by community members, farmers, environmental activists, and, at times, lawyers and political parties.

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

The shorter, vegetated hills play a vital role in preventing desertification, recharging groundwater and sustaining communities according to experts.

"This mountain system must not be categorized solely by elevation, but by its ecological, geological and climatic role," noted an ecology advocate involved in the campaign to preserve the Aravallis.

He said that, globally, mountains and hill systems are identified by the roles they play, not by random height benchmarks.

"Any landform that is structurally a component of the Aravalli system and plays a critical role in ecology or combating desertification should be recognised as a component of the system, regardless of its height."

Activists are demanding that the government delineate Aravalli areas using scientific criteria, encompassing topography, biodiversity, animal corridors and climate resilience.

One activist warned that the court's new definition could encourage mining, construction and commercial activity, heightening the threat of environmental harm.

Opposition parties have ramped up their censure, warning 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 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 federal government has attempted to minimize these concerns.

In a recent communication, it asserted the new definition is intended to strengthen regulation and bring uniformity, noting that a single, objective definition was required to oversee extraction consistently across states.

It added that the new definition covers the whole mountainous region – incorporating slopes, associated landforms, and intervening areas – clearly safeguarding hill clusters and their connections.

The national environment department clarified it is wrong to presume that mining will be permitted on all landforms under 100 metres.

The government states areas within the Aravalli hills or ranges are not eligible for new mining leases, while existing ones can continue if they adhere to sustainable mining norms.

It noted that mining remains prohibited in core "inviolate" areas – reserved woodlands, eco-sensitive zones, and wetlands – except for certain essential, national security, and nuclear minerals permitted by law.

The minister responsible for ecology said only about two percent of the vast Aravalli range could potentially be mined, and only after detailed studies and official approval.

However, many of the protesting groups say that protests will persist and that they are exploring judicial avenues to challenge the court's new definition.