Context:

The Union Government has rejected claims that the newly notified definition of the Aravalli Hills and Ranges is intended to facilitate large-scale mining. The government clarified that over 90% of the Aravalli region will remain protected, in accordance with a Supreme Court of India–approved framework. This framework includes a pause on fresh mining leases across Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan, and Gujarat until a comprehensive and scientifically grounded management plan is finalised.

About the Aravalli Mountain Range:

• • • One of the oldest mountain systems in the world, estimated to be nearly two billion years old, stretching approximately 650 km from Delhi to Gujarat.
    • Ecologically, the Aravallis act as a natural barrier against desertification, preventing the eastward expansion of the Thar Desert into the fertile Indo-Gangetic plains.
    • They play a critical role in groundwater recharge, climate regulation, and biodiversity conservation, and are the source region of important rivers such as the Chambal, Sabarmati, and Luni.
    • The range is rich in minerals including limestone, marble, sandstone, copper, zinc, and tungsten, historically making it a significant mining zone.
    • However, decades of excessive quarrying have led to forest degradation, declining groundwater levels, and severe air pollution, particularly in the National Capital Region (NCR).

Supreme Court Intervention and Uniform Definition:

• • • The absence of a uniform legal definition of Aravalli formations across states had created regulatory loopholes and enforcement challenges.
    • To address this, a committee comprising representatives from the Ministry of Environment, Forest Survey of India (FSI), Geological Survey of India (GSI), State Forest Departments, and the Central Empowered Committee (CEC) was constituted.
    • Recently, the Supreme Court accepted the committee’s recommendations, defining:
      • Aravalli Hill: Any landform with a height of 100 metres or more above local relief
      • Aravalli Range: A collection of two or more such hills located within 500 metres of each other
    • The definition is intended to be inclusive, scientifically grounded, and administratively workable, replacing inconsistent slope-based or buffer-based criteria.
    • Rather than imposing a blanket ban, the Court adopted a calibrated regulatory approach:
      • Existing legal mining operations may continue under strict environmental regulation.
      • Fresh mining approvals are paused to prevent unregulated and ecologically damaging exploitation.

About the Green Wall Initiative:

• • • The Aravalli Green Wall Project (launched in June 2025) aims to:
      • Restore 26 million hectares of degraded land by 2030
      • Increase green cover within a 5-km buffer zone across 29 districts in Gujarat, Rajasthan, Haryana, and Delhi
      • Contribute to India’s Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN) commitments under international environmental frameworks

Significance:

• • • Environmental Protection: Safeguards forests, groundwater systems, and regional biodiversity.
    • Legal Compliance: Ensures adherence to Supreme Court directives on sustainable mining and conservation.
    • Scientific Management: Introduces data-driven, multi-agency, and ecosystem-based conservation strategies.
    • Sustainable Development: Balances limited and regulated resource use with the preservation of over 90% of the Aravalli landscape.
    • Climate and Desertification Control: Acts as a frontline defence against the eastward spread of the Thar Desert into the Indo-Gangetic plains.

Conclusion:

The Supreme Court–backed definition and management framework for the Aravalli Hills and Ranges represents a science-based, sustainable, and legally robust approach to conserving one of India’s oldest and most ecologically vital mountain systems. By pausing fresh mining, enforcing uniform definitions, and initiating large-scale restoration through initiatives such as the Green Wall Project, the Centre seeks to strike a careful balance between ecological preservation and regulated development, addressing long-standing environmental degradation and governance challenges.