Supreme Court Stays New Definition of Aravalli Hills; Activists Demand Full Protection

New Delhi: The Supreme Court has stayed its own order redefining the Aravalli Hills, ruling that hills under 100 meters in height will not be considered part of the Aravalli range. Environmentalists and activists have welcomed the stay but warn that the real battle for full protection is far from over.

Activists Call for Complete Conservation
Neelam Ahluwalia, founder member of People for Aravalli and a member of the Aravalli Virasat Jan Abhiyan, told Navbharat Times:
“While we welcome the Supreme Court’s stay, the real concern is that expert committees will now decide what qualifies as Aravalli. The range does not need redefinition; it needs complete protection. Aravalli has already suffered greatly due to mining and real estate activities.”

Ahluwalia emphasized that the movement will continue until the hills receive full legal and environmental protection. She said the affected population, local ecosystems, and forests must be involved in any process defining the range.

Background of the Controversy
On November 20, the Supreme Court had approved a new definition of the Aravalli range across Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan, and Gujarat, recognizing only hills 100 meters or taller as part of the Aravalli. Most of the hills in Rajasthan, Gujarat, and Haryana are under this height, leaving significant areas outside legal protection.

Implications of the New Definition
Haryana’s forest cover is already the lowest in the country at 3.6%. Excluding low-height Aravalli hills from protection could further shrink forested areas. These hills serve as critical buffers for agriculture, groundwater recharge, pollution absorption, and wildlife habitats. The redefinition could open the range to mining, real estate, and other encroachments, worsening environmental degradation.

Impact on Local Communities
Communities around the Aravalli rely on the hills for livelihood—grazing livestock, collecting medicinal plants, and farming. Mining and blasting have already caused health problems such as skin, liver, kidney issues, asthma, COPD, and TB. Groundwater depletion and reduced vegetation have further affected farming, while vibrations from blasts have damaged homes.

Environmental Damage to Date
Over the past decades, the 692-kilometer-long Aravalli range has developed 12 major fissures stretching from Ajmer to Jhunjhunu in Rajasthan and from Mahendragarh in southern Haryana. Dust from these degraded areas contributes to pollution in the Delhi-NCR region. Activists warn that the new definition could accelerate this destruction.

Next Steps for the Aravalli Virasat Jan Abhiyan
The campaign will push for a participatory and transparent process involving residents, forest officials, and environmental experts from all four states. The organization calls for studies to assess impacts on local livelihoods, health, biodiversity, groundwater recharge zones, and pollution absorption capacities, aiming to ensure sustainable protection of the Aravalli heritage.