Aravalli Hills: How to protect the Aravalli?

What is the issue related to the definition of the Aravalli hills? How is the Aravalli Range to be Protected? Read here to learn more.

In a significant environmental intervention, the Supreme Court of India, in an order issued recently, has established a uniform definition of the Aravalli hills and ranges and halted the grant of new mining leases within its geographical spread across Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan, and Gujarat.

The ruling follows long-standing concerns over unregulated mining, ecological degradation, and desertification risks in one of India’s most ancient and ecologically critical mountain systems.

Why are the Aravalli Hills Ecologically Important?

1. Oldest Mountain Range in India

• Estimated to be nearly 2 billion years old
• Older than the Himalayas
• Represents one of the earliest folded mountain systems on Earth

2. Natural Barrier Against Desertification

The Aravalli range plays a crucial geomorphological and climatic role in preventing the eastward expansion of the Thar Desert.

• Acts as a physical barrier against hot desert winds
• Slows the movement of dunes from western Rajasthan
• Helps maintain soil moisture and vegetation cover in Haryana, Delhi, and western UP
• Reduces the frequency and intensity of dust storms

Without the Aravallis, the fertile Indo-Gangetic plains would face accelerated land degradation.

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3. Climate Regulation and Biodiversity

• Moderates regional microclimate
• Supports tropical dry deciduous forests
• Habitat for leopards, hyenas, jackals, pangolins, and migratory birds
• Ecological buffer for urban regions like Delhi-NCR

4. Groundwater Recharge and River Systems

• Facilitates groundwater recharge through fractured rock systems
• Source region for major rivers:
  • Chambal
  • Sabarmati
  • Luni
• Supports lakes, wetlands, and seasonal streams critical for agriculture

Why is the Aravalli Range Under Threat?

1. Excessive and Illegal Mining

• Rich in minerals: sandstone, limestone, marble, granite
• Metallic resources: lead, zinc, copper, tungsten, gold
• Over the last four decades, rampant quarrying for stone and sand
• A large proportion of mining activities were illegal or poorly regulated

2. Environmental Consequences

• Severe air pollution due to stone dust
• Sharp decline in groundwater recharge
• Deforestation and habitat fragmentation
• Increased vulnerability to desertification

3. Urbanisation Pressure

• Expansion of Delhi-NCR
• Construction, infrastructure projects, and real estate encroachments

Why Was a Uniform Definition of the Aravalli Hills Necessary?

The Problem:

• Different states used different criteria to define “Aravalli land”
• Allowed mining and construction by exploiting definitional loopholes
• Some areas ecologically part of the Aravallis were classified as “non-forest” or “revenue land”

Supreme Court’s Rationale:

• The absence of a uniform definition weakened environmental regulation
• Enabled selective approvals and regulatory evasion
• Contravened India’s commitments under the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD)

Outcome:

• SC adopted a scientific and comprehensive definition
• Covers hills, hillocks, ridges, and ecologically contiguous areas
• Applies uniformly across Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan, and Gujarat

Recommendations of the Central Empowered Committee (CEC)

The CEC, constituted by the Supreme Court, played a central role in assessing degradation and suggesting remedial measures.

Key Recommendations:

• Identify Aravalli areas based on geology, topography, and ecology
• Impose a moratorium on mining in ecologically sensitive zones
• Restore degraded mining sites through afforestation
• Strengthen monitoring of illegal mining
• Ensure alignment with international environmental commitments

The Supreme Court largely accepted these recommendations.

Has the Supreme Court Completely Banned Mining in the Aravalli Range?

• The SC has paused the grant of fresh mining leases
• Existing leases are subject to:
  • Environmental clearances
  • Compliance with court directives
  • Ecological sensitivity assessments

What is Effectively Restricted:

• Mining in core ecological zones
• Mining without proper environmental appraisal
• Activities that contribute to desertification and groundwater depletion

Thus, the approach is regulatory and precautionary, not an absolute prohibition.

Why Is the SC Intervention Significant?

1. Environmental Federalism

• Ensures uniform ecological protection across states
• Prevents “race to the bottom” regulatory practices

2. Climate and Desertification Commitments

• Reinforces India’s obligations under UNCCD and Sustainable Development Goals (SDG 15: Life on Land)

3. Urban Environmental Security

• Protects Delhi-NCR from worsening air pollution and water stress
• Preserves green buffers amid rapid urban expansion

Protecting the Aravalli Range

• Implement scientific land-use zoning
• Restore degraded mining sites
• Promote eco-sensitive development
• Strengthen satellite-based monitoring of illegal mining
• Integrate Aravalli protection into regional planning frameworks

Conclusion

The Supreme Court’s intervention marks a critical step toward safeguarding the Aravalli range, a geological relic and ecological shield vital to northern India’s environmental security. By enforcing a uniform definition and restricting indiscriminate mining, the Court has sought to balance development with sustainability.

Long-term protection, however, will depend on robust enforcement, scientific planning, and cooperative federalism to ensure that this ancient mountain system continues to prevent desertification and support life for generations to come.

Related articles:

• Aravalli Green Wall Project
• Mountains