Ancient Range, Modern Crisis
The Aravalli Range, stretching 692 kilometers from Gujarat through Rajasthan and Haryana to Delhi, represents India’s oldest geological feature—mountains that predate the Himalayas by 2 billion years. Once forested shields protecting northwest India from desert expansion, the Aravallis now face existential threats from mining, urbanization, and policy rollbacks that could erase them within decades.
In December 2025, a Supreme Court order redefining “Aravalli” sparked nationwide protests, scientific alarm, and fears that 90% of these ancient hills could lose environmental protection—opening them to mining and construction that would accelerate ecological collapse already underway.
The Redefinition Controversy
On December 4, 2025, a Supreme Court bench accepted the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change’s (MoEFCC) proposal to redefine which areas constitute “Aravalli” under the 1992 notification prohibiting mining. The new definition restricts protection to areas:
- Above 460 meters elevation
- Mapped as “Aravalli” on Survey of India toposheet 53-F (scale 1:250,000)
- Within a 5-kilometer radius of these mapped areas
This seemingly technical change has devastating implications: approximately 90% of Aravalli hills fall below 460 meters or lie outside the new boundaries—removing them from mining prohibitions that have existed for 33 years.
The BBC reported growing protests as environmental groups calculate that 450+ square kilometers of ecologically sensitive land could become available for quarrying, construction, and industrial development.
Ecology Under Siege
Biodiversity Loss: The Aravallisharbor 500+ plant species, 300+ bird species, leopards, striped hyenas, Indian wolves, and numerous reptiles and amphibians. The Aravalli Biodiversity Park in Delhi—44 acres restored from mining wastelands—demonstrates the range’s ecological potential with 43,000+ native plants from 101 species reintroduced since 2003.
However, habitat fragmentation from mining, roads, and urban sprawl isolates wildlife populations. A January 2026 Times of India study flags threats to groundwater recharge zones and biodiversity corridors, warning that continued degradation will trigger cascading ecosystem collapse.
Groundwater Crisis: The Aravallis function as a “water tower” for northwest India—their forests and soils capture monsoon rainfall, recharging aquifers that sustain agriculture and cities. Mining and deforestation reduce infiltration by 40-60%, accelerating groundwater depletion already critical in Rajasthan, Haryana, and Delhi.
Dust Pollution: The January 2026 Mongabay investigation “Shrinking Aravallis, Rising Dust Pollution” documents how Aravalli degradation increases atmospheric dust. Exposed hillsides, barren mine pits, and reduced vegetation cover allow wind erosion to lift millions of tonnes of dust into air currents sweeping across North India.
This dust exacerbates Delhi’s air crisis—contributing 20-30% of particulate matter during non-winter months when stubble burning isn’t occurring. Dust also damages crops, reduces solar panel efficiency, and creates respiratory health hazards.
Climate Buffer Lost: The Aravallis block desert winds from the Thar, preventing desertification of productive agricultural lands to the east. Modeling studies suggest complete Aravalli loss would shift the desert boundary 200+ kilometers eastward, threatening millions of hectares of farmland.
Mining: The Primary Destructive Force
The Aravallis hold vast mineral wealth: limestone, marble, sandstone, granite, copper, zinc, and rare earth elements. Estimated mineral value exceeds ₹10 lakh crores—creating powerful economic incentives for extraction.
Legal vs. Illegal Mining: While the 1992 notification banned new mining leases in Aravalli areas, existing leases continued and illegal mining proliferated. A 2024 Comptroller and Auditor General report documented that Rajasthan and Haryana states issued 1,200+ mining leases in violation of regulations between 2010-2023, causing ₹20,000+ crores in environmental damages.
The December 2025 Supreme Court redefinition, while officially maintaining that “no new mining leases” will be issued, creates ambiguity about which areas remain protected. The MoEFCC’s December 21 clarification attempted to assure that “Aravalli protection remains intact,” but environmental lawyers note the reduced protected area means vast tracts become eligible for state-level development approvals previously blocked by Aravalli status.
Community Resistance: Villages like Aravalliwala in Haryana have organized sustained protests against mining companies. A December 2025 Land Conflict Watch report profiles community-led resistance movements documenting environmental destruction, water depletion, and health impacts of mining operations—often met with intimidation and false criminal cases against activists.
Urban Sprawl: The Creeping Threat
Delhi, Gurugram, Faridabad, Ghaziabad, and other NCR cities expand relentlessly into Aravalli foothills. The 2019 Coastal Regulation Zone-style protections for Aravallis—proposed by expert committees—were never implemented, allowing:
- Luxury farmhouses on illegally cleared forest land
- Real estate developments in ecologically sensitive zones
- Highway construction fragmenting wildlife corridors
- Waste dumping in Aravalli valleys
A Ground Zero report documented how the Supreme Court’s new definition threatens India’s oldest hills by legitimizing development that would have been prohibited under previous interpretations.
Conservation Efforts
Aravalli Biodiversity Parks: The successful ecological restoration in Delhi’s Gurgaon-Faridabad ridge demonstrates Aravalli recovery potential. FAO recognizes this project as a model for urban biodiversity restoration.
Community Forest Rights: Under the Forest Rights Act, several Aravalli villages have claimed community forest resource rights—providing legal standing to resist destructive development. These grassroots conservation efforts, while limited, preserve crucial habitats.
Judicial Activism: Previous Supreme Court judgments (particularly the 2002 T.N. Godavarman case and 2018 orders) strengthened Aravalli protection. Environmental advocates hope courts will clarify the December 2025 order to prevent loopholes exploitation.
Scientific Documentation: Institutions like Wildlife Institute of India and Salim Ali Centre for Ornithology conduct biodiversity surveys, building scientific evidence for protection. The 2024 comprehensive assessment identified 89 critical biodiversity areas requiring immediate conservation action.
Policy Gaps and Reform Needs
Unified Aravalli Authority: Currently, the range fragments across four states (Gujarat, Rajasthan, Haryana, Delhi) with uncoordinated policies. An interstate Aravalli Conservation Authority with statutory powers could enforce consistent protection standards.
Economic Alternatives: Mining-dependent communities need alternative livelihoods. Ecotourism, sustainable agroforestry, and watershed restoration projects could provide income while conserving ecosystems.
Stricter Enforcement: Existing laws suffice if enforced. The persistent illegal mining reflects regulatory failure and corruption. Satellite monitoring, drone surveillance, and swift prosecution of violators are essential.
Ecological Restoration Fund: A dedicated fund (financed through mining penalties, green cess, and central allocations) could support large-scale restoration—reforesting degraded areas, reconstructing watersheds, and creating wildlife corridors.
Will India Save Its Oldest Mountains?
The Aravallis face a civilizational choice. These ancient mountains have sheltered human settlements for millennia, shaped regional climate, and sustained ecosystems of extraordinary richness. Their degradation reverberates across northwest India—water scarcity, air pollution, biodiversity collapse, and desertification.
The February 2026 Counterview article titled “Sand Mining and Ecological Collapse: What Aravalli Teaches Us About Environmental Governance” argues the Aravalli crisis epitomizes India’s broader environmental challenges—short-term economic extraction prioritized over long-term ecological security, regulatory frameworks weakened rather than strengthened, and community voices marginalized in decisions affecting their survival.
As one ecologist concluded: “The Aravallis are on trial, but so are we. Will we preserve Earth’s gifts for future generations or exhaust them for immediate profit? The Aravallis can recover—if we grant them the protection and time they need. The question is whether we possess the wisdom to do so.”
