The Reason India's Aravalli Hills Have Become the Epicenter of Increasing Demonstrations.

Protests have erupted across the northern part of the country after the nation's top court issued a new definition for the Aravalli hills – among the planet's most ancient mountain ranges spanning the states of Rajasthan, Haryana, Gujarat, and the capital territory.

As per the revised criteria, approved by the court following federal government suggestions, an Aravalli hill is any landform with a minimum elevation of 100 metres (328 ft) above the surrounding terrain. Two or more such hills less than half a kilometre of each other, along with the land between them, are deemed to be an Aravalli range.

Environmentalists argue that classifying Aravalli hills based on elevation risks leaving many shorter, vegetation-clad but ecologically critical hills unprotected from mining and construction.

The federal government, however, maintains that the revised definition is designed to tighten controls and bring uniformity and not dilute safeguards.

What is Sparking the Demonstrations?

Recently, peaceful protests occurred in cities including Gurugram and Udaipur, organized by local residents, farmers, environmental activists, and, in some cases, lawyers and political parties.

An organizing member of a key conservation collective stated that the new definition risks undermining the critical role of the Aravalli range in "preventing desertification, replenishing aquifers and safeguarding local economies" in the northwestern region.

The shorter, vegetated hills perform a crucial function in preventing desertification, boosting water tables and supporting livelihoods according to experts.

"This mountain system must not be categorized solely by elevation, but by its ecological, geological and climatic function," noted an environmental activist associated with the campaign to preserve the Aravallis.

He said that, internationally, mountains and hill systems are identified by the functions they perform, not by arbitrary elevation thresholds.

"Any landform that is structurally a component of the Aravalli system and plays a critical role in the ecosystem or preventing desertification should be recognised as part of the range, irrespective of its height."

Protesters are calling for that the government delineate Aravalli areas using research-based parameters, encompassing geography, biodiversity, animal corridors and climate resilience.

One activist warned that the court's new definition could encourage extractive industries, development and business projects, increasing the risk of environmental harm.

Political opponents have stepped up criticism, cautioning that the new definition might lead to serious ecological damage.

A senior politician declared that safeguarding the Aravallis is "inseparable from Delhi's survival." Another leader called the range the state's "lifeline," stating that without it, "the entire area up to Delhi would have become a desert."

Official Position

India's central government has attempted to minimize these apprehensions.

In a official release, it said the new definition is intended to bolster governance and create standardization, noting that a single, objective definition was required to regulate mining uniformly across states.

It further stated that the new definition encompasses the whole mountainous region – incorporating slopes, associated landforms, and connecting zones – explicitly protecting hill clusters and their connections.

The national environment department said it is wrong to assume that mining will be allowed on all landforms under 100 metres.

The government states areas within the Aravalli hills or ranges are not eligible for new mining leases, while existing ones can continue if they adhere to environmentally sound practices.

It added that mining remains banned in core "inviolate" areas – reserved woodlands, eco-sensitive zones, and wetlands – aside from certain critical, strategic, and atomic minerals allowed by law.

The minister responsible for ecology said only about 2% of the vast Aravalli range might be open to extraction, and only after comprehensive assessments and formal clearance.

However, several of the demonstrating organizations contend that protests will persist and that they are exploring legal options to contest the court's new definition.