Why India's Aravalli Hills Are at the Centre of Increasing Protests.

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

Under the new definition, endorsed by the court based on central government suggestions, an Aravalli hill is any landform with a minimum elevation of 100 metres (328 ft) from the adjacent land. 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 classifying Aravalli hills based on elevation could leave numerous lower, scrub-covered but vitally important hills unprotected from quarrying and development.

The federal government, however, says that the revised definition is designed to tighten controls and bring uniformity and not weaken protections.

Why are People Protesting?

Recently, peaceful protests occurred in cities including Gurugram and Udaipur, led by community members, farmers, green activists, and, in some cases, lawyers and political parties.

A founder member of a prominent environmental group stated that the new definition threatens to compromise the critical role of the Aravalli range in "halting desert expansion, recharging groundwater and protecting livelihoods" in the northwestern region.

The shorter, vegetated hills play a vital role in stopping desert creep, recharging groundwater and supporting livelihoods according to experts.

"The Aravalli range must not be categorized by height alone, but by its ecological, geological and climatic purpose," noted an ecology advocate associated with the movement to save the Aravallis.

He added that, globally, mountains and hill systems are identified by the functions they perform, not by arbitrary elevation thresholds.

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

Activists are demanding that the government delineate Aravalli areas using scientific criteria, including geography, ecology, animal corridors and environmental durability.

A campaigner cautioned that the court's new definition could encourage extractive industries, development and business projects, heightening the risk of ecological damage.

Opposition parties have stepped up criticism, warning that the new definition might lead to significant environmental degradation.

One political leader said that safeguarding the Aravallis is "fundamentally linked to Delhi's survival." A different official described the range the state's "lifeline," adding that without it, "the entire area up to Delhi would have turned into a desert."

Official Position

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

In a recent statement, it asserted the new definition is meant to bolster governance and create standardization, adding that a single, objective definition was required to regulate mining uniformly across states.

It further stated that the new definition covers the whole mountainous region – incorporating slopes, related features, and intervening areas – explicitly protecting hill clusters and their linkages.

The federal environment ministry said it is wrong to assume 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 existing ones can continue if they adhere to environmentally sound practices.

It added that mining remains banned in core "protected" areas – protected forests, environmentally fragile zones, and wetlands – except for certain essential, national security, and nuclear minerals permitted by law.

The minister responsible for ecology indicated only about two percent of the 147,000 sqkm Aravalli range might be open to extraction, and only after detailed studies and formal clearance.

Nevertheless, several of the demonstrating organizations contend that protests will persist and that they are exploring judicial avenues to contest the court's new definition.