By: Express News ServiceNovember 22, 2025 03:58 PM IST 4 min readEnvironmentalists warn that the SC-approved 100-metre definition for Aravalli Hills could remove protection from low ridges, opening them to mining. (Express Photo)Environmentalists and water conservationists have criticised the Supreme Court’s November 20 order that accepted a uniform, elevation-based definition of the Aravalli Hills given by a Centre-appointed expert committee. Activists have warned that hills below 100 metres from local relief will lose protection and could be opened for mining, threatening the ecological continuity of India’s oldest mountain range.A three-judge bench headed by CJI B R Gavai, and comprising Justices K Vinod Chandran and N V Anjaria, had asked the Centre to prepare a Management Plan for Sustainable Mining (MPSM) “for the entire Aravalis” and barred the grant of new mining licences in the region before it is finalised.“In the result, we pass the following order: (i) We accept the recommendations made by the Committee with regard to the definition of Aravali Hills and Ranges given by MoEF&CC…,” it had said.As per the definition, the Aravali Hills is defined as any landform located in the Aravali districts, having an elevation of 100 metres or more from the local relief. While two or more Aravali Hills (as defined above) located within the proximity of 500 m from each other, measured from the outermost point on the boundary of the lowest contour line on either side, forms the Aravali Range.‘Deeply problematic’ Neelam Ahluwalia, founder-member of People for Aravallis, called the judgment a “mixed bag”. “We welcome the complete freeze on new mining leases and the mandate for a comprehensive management plan. But accepting the uniform definition is deeply problematic. It excludes all hills below 100 metres from local relief, breaking the continuity of the range and creating more gaps for Thar desert dust to advance towards Haryana, Delhi-NCR, Western UP and Eastern Rajasthan,” she said.The group argued that even low, scrub-covered Aravalli hills play critical roles in biodiversity conservation, groundwater recharge, micro-climate regulation and checking dust storms.Retired Conservator of Forests Dr R P Balwan said Haryana’s natural forest cover, just 3.6%, could decline further. “Most notified forests in the state lie on low-elevation ridges that do not meet the 100-metre criterion. These areas will lose Aravalli protection and become vulnerable again,” he warned.Story continues below this adEcologist Pia Sethi warned that loss of vegetation on these smaller hills could disrupt local rainfall patterns and increase heat stress. Environmentalist Tanuja Chauhan said the move would further choke Delhi-NCR’s “green lungs” at a time when cities in the region already rank among the world’s most polluted.Water conservationist Dr Rajendra Singh, known as the “Water Man of Rajasthan”, said the Aravallis are a vital recharge zone, with fractured rock systems capable of recharging up to 2 million litres of groundwater per hectare. “Disturbing smaller hills through mining will lower water tables and contaminate aquifers across Gujarat, Rajasthan, South Haryana and Delhi-NCR,” he cautioned.Ecologist Dr Ghazala Shahabuddin noted that the range supports over 400 native plant species, 200 bird species and mammals such as leopards and hyenas. “Shrinking habitat will intensify human-wildlife conflict,” she said.Also Read | SC pauses Aravalli jungle safari: What is the eco-tourism project at Delhi’s doorstep, and why are critics opposed to it?People for Aravallis also noted that more than 12 breaches already exist in the range from Ajmer-Jhunjhunu in Rajasthan to Mahendergarh in Haryana, allowing desert dust to blow into the National Capital Region. “A height-based definition will create many more such breaches,” the group said.Stay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram© The Indian Express Pvt Ltd