The BRICS TimesNew Aravalli Definition Protects 90% of Range; SC-Approved Framework Freezes Most New Mining Leases
The Centre’s new definition of the Aravalli hills will protect over 90% of the area. Union environment minister Bhupender Yadav said this on Sunday. He rejected claims that the change opens the fragile ecosystem to widespread mining.
Defining the Aravalli Hills
A central government panel defined Aravalli hills. Landforms rising at least 100 meters above the local relief qualify. The Supreme Court accepted this definition on November 20. “Local relief” is the elevation difference. It is measured between the hill and its surrounding base area.
Minister Yadav explained the impact of this new definition. “More than 90% of the area came under the protected zone,” he stated. The total area of the Aravalli range is 147,000 sq km. Mining is currently possible in only 217 sq km, based on information for 39 districts. He added, “Mining cannot be done indiscriminately—there are Supreme Court guidelines.” He spoke at the Sundarban Tiger Reserve in West Bengal. Later, Yadav clarified on X, “only 0.19% of the area” was eligible for mining.
Clarifications on Measurement and Protection
Yadav also defined the Aravalli range as two or more hills. These hills must be within 500 meters of each other. He confirmed the hill’s height will be measured from its base. It will not be measured from the surface. “The mountain’s base structure extends 20m underground,” he said. “The protection extends till 100m.”
The environment ministry (MoEFCC) later issued a detailed factsheet. It covered the definition, objective, and methodology. It stressed that mining is controlled by Supreme Court orders. The court-approved framework stops new mining leases. This freeze remains until a comprehensive management plan is ready.
Safeguards and Exceptions
The ministry document said the committee’s findings offer a clear scientific basis. These findings were upheld by the Supreme Court. “Strict mining regulations and monitoring ensure that the ecology of the Aravallis remains safeguarded,” the document stated.
No new mining leases will be allowed in the mapped Aravalli areas. The factsheet confirmed this. However, a small exception exists. It applies to atomic, critical, and strategic minerals. These are listed in Schedule VII of the MMDR Act. This exception is due to national security and economic needs.
Criticism and Political Reaction
The Centre’s definition has intensified scrutiny. The Aravallis are one of the world’s oldest ranges. Opposition parties, ecologists, and activists criticize the notification. They argue it opens vast range areas to exploitation.
The two-billion-year-old Aravallis are India’s oldest fold-mountain range. They cover a 700km stretch. The range runs from Gujarat’s eastern edge to Delhi. It passes through Haryana and Rajasthan. These mountains are vital for the region. They act as a natural boundary to the Thar desert. They prevent Delhi’s desertification. They also recharge water and provide green cover.
Activists called the ministry’s clarification inaccurate. They claimed it “hid more than it revealed.” Gurugram-based forest analyst Chetan Agarwal pointed out the FSI data. “It is silent on the FSI data that there are 107,000 hills shorter than 20m,” he said. He added there are “about 11,000 hills between 20m and 100m tall.”
“This adds up to 118,000 hills below 100m height,” he noted. “Only 1,048 are above that threshold.” Agarwal called the definition “an incredible claim.” He also questioned the reliance on a 2006 Rajasthan definition. That definition classified landforms rising 100 meters or more as a hill.
He argued, “The ministry is silent on the fact that the Supreme Court did not accept the 100m definition.” Instead, the SC directed FSI to survey the entire Aravallis in Rajasthan. This included parts below 100m.
Political parties also criticized the Centre. Former Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot accused the BJP of trying to “jeopardise the future of Rajasthan.” He said they were “diluting” protections for the state’s ecological lifeline.
The Congress launched protests in Jaipur. Earlier, Sonia Gandhi attacked the definition change. She called it a “death warrant” for the hills. Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav warned the Aravallis must be protected. This is vital to prevent Delhi and the NCR from becoming the “world’s pollution capital.”
“If the Aravallis survive, the NCR will survive,” he stressed. “The Aravallis are essential for protecting the environment and restoring ecological balance.”
