The Reason The Nation's Aravalli Mountain Range Are at the Centre of Increasing Unrest.

Demonstrations have broken out across northern India 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, approved by the court based on federal government suggestions, an Aravalli hill is any landform with a minimum elevation of 100 metres (328 ft) from the adjacent land. Two or more such hills within 500 metres of each other, combined with the land between them, are classified as an Aravalli range.

Ecologists assert that classifying Aravalli hills based on elevation could leave numerous shorter, vegetation-clad but ecologically critical hills vulnerable to mining and construction.

The central administration, on the other hand, states that the new definition is intended to tighten controls and establish consistency and not dilute safeguards.

The Roots of the Unrest

This weekend, peaceful protests took place in cities including Gurugram and Udaipur, organized by community members, farmers, environmental activists, and, in some cases, lawyers and political parties.

An organizing member of a key conservation collective commented that the new definition threatens to compromise the critical role of the Aravalli range in "preventing desertification, replenishing aquifers and protecting livelihoods" in northwest India.

The shorter, vegetated hills play a vital role in stopping desert creep, recharging groundwater and supporting livelihoods as per experts.

"The Aravalli range should not be defined by height alone, but by its ecological, geological and climatic purpose," noted an ecology advocate involved in the campaign to save the Aravallis.

He added that, globally, mountains and hill systems are classified by the functions they perform, not by random height benchmarks.

"Any feature that is geologically part of the Aravalli system and plays a critical role in ecology or preventing 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, including geography, biodiversity, wildlife connectivity and environmental durability.

One activist warned that the court's new definition might promote extractive industries, development and business projects, increasing the risk of ecological damage.

Political opponents have ramped up their censure, cautioning that the new definition might lead to serious ecological damage.

A senior politician said that protecting the Aravallis is "fundamentally linked to Delhi's survival." Another leader called the range the state's "lifeline," adding that without it, "a vast region up to Delhi would have turned into a desert."

The Government's Stance

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

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

It further stated that the new definition covers the entire hill system – including slopes, associated landforms, and connecting zones – explicitly protecting hill clusters and their connections.

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 existing ones can continue if they follow environmentally sound practices.

It added that mining remains banned in core "inviolate" areas – protected forests, environmentally fragile zones, and wetlands – aside from certain essential, national security, and nuclear minerals permitted by law.

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

Nevertheless, many of the demonstrating organizations contend that demonstrations will continue and that they are considering legal options to contest the court's new definition.