Archive · 7 Dec 2025
New Rules Threaten Aravalli Range Protection
The Aravalli range is a very old and important mountain system in India.
It helps keep the environment healthy, but people have been mining there illegally, which is bad for nature.
The government has a new rule that says only very tall mountains (over 100 meters) should be protected.
This means most of the Aravalli hills (about 90%) won't be protected anymore.
Experts are worried this will lead to more mining and harm the environment.
They are asking the government to change the rule to protect the mountains better.
The Aravalli range, stretching from Delhi to Gujarat, is vital for the region's environment and is facing ecological collapse due to illegal mining.
The Supreme Court banned mining within a one-kilometre radius of the Aravalli in 2023, but illegal mining continues in areas like Sariska, Tehla, and Alwar.
The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change proposed a new definition that would only protect mountains over 100 meters high, potentially removing protection from 90% of the Aravalli hills.
Environmental experts warn that the new definition could lead to large-scale ecological destruction and have called for urgent reconsideration.
Activists are prepared for a legal and environmental battle to protect the Aravallis if the new rule is implemented.
- Who
- The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, environmental experts, and activists.
- What
- Proposed new definition for protected Aravalli range, potentially removing protection from 90% of the hills.
- When
- The draft was submitted before the Supreme Court in 2024.
- Where
- Aravalli range, stretching from Delhi to Gujarat, with a focus on Rajasthan.
- Why
- To redefine the protected areas based on height, which could lead to increased mining and ecological destruction.
- Aravalli Range
- One of the world's oldest mountain systems, stretching from Delhi to Gujarat, passing through 15 districts of Rajasthan.
- Ecological Role
- Green lungs of northern India, vital for the region's environment.
- Mining Ban
- Supreme Court banned mining within a one-kilometre radius of the Aravalli in 2023.
- Active Mines
- 68 active mines within the restricted zone as of 2024.
- Proposed Definition
- Only mountains with a height of 100 metres or more to be classified as part of the protected Aravalli range.
- Hills Above 100 Meters
- Only 1,048 hills (8.7%) out of 12,081 hills in Rajasthan.
- Environmental Impact
- Nearly 90% of the Aravalli hills could lose protected status under the new criteria.
- Illegal Mining
- Evidence of clandestine mining continuing in the Sariska, Tehla, and Alwar regions.