The Reason India's Aravalli Mountain Range Have Become the Epicenter of Escalating Protests.

Protests have erupted across the northern part of the country after the Supreme Court redefined the Aravalli hills – among the planet's most ancient mountain ranges spanning the states of Rajasthan, Haryana, Gujarat, and the capital territory.

According to the fresh parameters, accepted by the court following federal government suggestions, an Aravalli hill is any geographical feature rising at least 100 metres (328 ft) from the surrounding terrain. Two or more such hills within 500 metres of each other, along with the land between them, are classified as an Aravalli range.

Environmentalists argue that defining Aravalli hills by height risks leaving numerous lower, scrub-covered but vitally important hills vulnerable to quarrying and development.

The central administration, on the other hand, maintains that the revised definition is meant to enhance oversight and establish consistency and not dilute safeguards.

What is Sparking the Demonstrations?

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

A founder member of a key environmental group commented that the new definition threatens to compromise the critical role of the Aravalli range in "preventing desertification, recharging groundwater and protecting livelihoods" in northwest India.

The lower, scrub-covered hills play a vital role in preventing desertification, recharging groundwater and sustaining communities as per experts.

"The Aravalli range must not be categorized by height alone, but by its environmental, physical and weather-related role," said an environmental activist involved in the movement to save the Aravallis.

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

"Any feature that is structurally a component of the Aravalli system and serves a vital purpose in the ecosystem 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 geography, ecology, animal corridors and climate resilience.

A campaigner cautioned that the court's new definition could encourage mining, construction and commercial activity, heightening the threat of environmental harm.

Opposition parties have stepped up criticism, warning that the new definition could cause significant environmental degradation.

A senior politician said that protecting the Aravallis is "inseparable from Delhi's survival." A different official described the range the state's "life-support system," adding that without it, "a vast region up to Delhi would have turned into a desert."

The Government's Stance

India's federal government has sought to downplay these apprehensions.

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

It added that the new definition encompasses the whole mountainous region – including slopes, related features, and connecting zones – clearly safeguarding hill clusters and their linkages.

The national environment department said it is wrong to assume that mining will be permitted 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 adhere to sustainable mining norms.

It noted that mining remains banned in core "inviolate" areas – reserved woodlands, eco-sensitive zones, and wetlands – except for certain critical, strategic, and atomic minerals permitted by law.

The Environment Minister said only about 2% of the 147,000 sqkm Aravalli range might be open to extraction, and only after detailed studies and official approval.

Nevertheless, many of the demonstrating organizations say that protests will persist and that they are considering judicial avenues to challenge the court's new definition.