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

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 geological formations stretching across the states of Rajasthan, Haryana, Gujarat, and Delhi.

Under the new definition, accepted by the court following central government recommendations, an Aravalli hill is any geographical feature rising at least 100 metres (328 ft) above the adjacent land. Two or more such hills within 500 metres of each other, combined with the land between them, are deemed to be an Aravalli range.

Conservationists contend that classifying Aravalli hills by height could leave numerous shorter, vegetation-clad but ecologically critical hills vulnerable to mining and construction.

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

Why are People Protesting?

This weekend, calm demonstrations were held in cities such as Gurugram and Udaipur, organized by local residents, farmers, environmental activists, and, in some cases, lawyers and political parties.

An organizing member of a prominent conservation collective commented that the new definition threatens to compromise the essential function of the Aravalli range in "halting desert expansion, recharging groundwater and protecting livelihoods" in northwest India.

The lower, scrub-covered hills perform a crucial function in preventing desertification, recharging groundwater and sustaining communities according to experts.

"This mountain system should not be defined solely by elevation, but by its environmental, physical and weather-related role," said an ecology advocate associated with the movement to preserve the Aravallis.

He said that, globally, mountain ranges are identified by the functions they perform, not by random height benchmarks.

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

Activists are demanding that the government delineate Aravalli areas using research-based parameters, encompassing topography, ecology, wildlife connectivity and environmental durability.

A campaigner cautioned that the court's new definition might promote mining, construction and commercial activity, heightening the risk of environmental harm.

Opposition parties have stepped up criticism, warning that the new definition might lead to serious ecological damage.

One political leader declared that safeguarding the Aravallis is "fundamentally linked to Delhi's survival." A different official called the range the state's "life-support system," stating that without it, "a vast region up to Delhi would have become a desert."

Official Position

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

In a recent communication, it said the new definition is intended to strengthen regulation and create standardization, adding that a single, objective definition was required to oversee extraction consistently across states.

It added that the new definition covers the entire hill system – incorporating slopes, associated landforms, and intervening areas – clearly safeguarding hill clusters and their linkages.

The federal environment ministry clarified it is wrong to presume 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 current operations can continue if they adhere to environmentally sound practices.

It noted that mining remains banned in core "inviolate" areas – reserved woodlands, eco-sensitive zones, and wetlands – aside from certain essential, national security, and nuclear minerals allowed by law.

The minister responsible for ecology said only about 2% of the 147,000 sqkm Aravalli range might be open to extraction, and only after comprehensive assessments and formal clearance.

Nevertheless, several of the protesting groups say that demonstrations will continue and that they are considering judicial avenues to challenge the court's new definition.