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

Protests have erupted across northern India after the nation's top court issued a new definition for the Aravalli hills – among the planet's most ancient geological formations stretching across 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 landform rising at least 100 metres (328 ft) from the surrounding terrain. A cluster of 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 defining Aravalli hills based on elevation could leave numerous lower, scrub-covered but ecologically critical hills unprotected from quarrying and development.

The central administration, on the other hand, states that the revised definition is meant to enhance oversight and bring uniformity and not weaken protections.

What is Sparking the Demonstrations?

Recently, peaceful protests took place in cities such as Gurugram and Udaipur, led by local residents, farmers, environmental activists, and, in some cases, lawyers and political parties.

An organizing member of a prominent environmental group stated that the new definition risks undermining the critical role of the Aravalli range in "halting desert expansion, replenishing aquifers and safeguarding local economies" in the northwestern region.

The shorter, vegetated hills perform a crucial function in preventing desertification, recharging groundwater and sustaining communities according to experts.

"The Aravalli range must not be categorized solely by elevation, but by its environmental, physical and weather-related function," said an environmental activist associated with the movement to save the Aravallis.

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

"Any landform that is geologically part of the Aravalli system and serves a vital purpose in ecology or preventing desertification should be recognised as part of the range, irrespective of its height."

Protesters are calling for that the government define Aravalli areas using research-based parameters, including geography, biodiversity, wildlife connectivity and climate resilience.

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

Political opponents have ramped up their censure, cautioning that the new definition could cause significant environmental degradation.

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

What Does the Government Say?

India's central government has attempted to minimize these apprehensions.

In a recent statement, it said the new definition is meant to bolster governance and create standardization, adding that a clear, unambiguous definition was required to oversee extraction consistently across states.

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

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

The government states areas within the Aravalli hills or ranges are excluded from new mining leases, while current operations can continue if they adhere to environmentally sound practices.

It added that mining remains prohibited in core "protected" areas – reserved woodlands, environmentally fragile zones, and wetlands – except for certain critical, strategic, and atomic minerals permitted by law.

The minister responsible for ecology said only about 2% of the vast Aravalli range could potentially be mined, and only after detailed studies and formal clearance.

However, many of the protesting groups say that protests will persist and that they are considering legal options to contest the court's new definition.