Aravalli Our Lifeline: Why Protecting It Matters Now More Than Ever
The Aravalli Range isn’t just a mountain chain — it is the biophysical backbone for North-West India’s environment. It filters air, stores and recharges groundwater, checks desertification from the Thar, and sustains biodiversity. Counting hills by arbitrary height misses this holistic value.
Recent legal changes accepting a 100-metre elevation rule for recognising parts of the Aravallis have sparked alarm among scientists, activists, and citizens — because this doesn’t just redraw maps, it redefines what gets protection and what doesn’t.
What’s Happening: The 100-Metre Rule Explained
In November 2025, the Supreme Court of India accepted a uniform definition — proposed by a government panel — that only landforms rising 100 metres or more above the surrounding terrain count as Aravalli hills.
This sounds technical, but its impact is huge:
- Over 90% of the Aravalli range may no longer be legally classified as Aravalli because most low-lying hills fall below this threshold.
- Smaller hills, ridges, and scrublands — which play crucial roles in ecology — are excluded.
- Once legally unprotected, these areas could be opened up to mining, construction, and real estate development, increasing risks of deforestation, dust pollution, and water scarcity.
Why This Matters for Air, Water & Biodiversity
The Aravallis are not mere rocks — they are ecological infrastructure:
1) Air Purification
Small hills, vegetation, and scrub forests trap dust and particulates, preventing them from reaching the Indo-Gangetic plains and Delhi-NCR. Without these low ridges, air pollution could worsen, especially during dry and windy seasons.
2) Groundwater Recharge
Aravalli geology — especially secondary porosity — allows rainwater to percolate deep, recharging aquifers. Some studies show capacities of millions of litres per hectare annually.
3) Biodiversity and Wildlife Corridors
The range connects forests from Sariska to Ranthambore, supporting wildlife like leopards, wolves, hyenas, birds, reptiles, and endemic plant species. Breaking this connectivity threatens entire ecosystems.
Did You Know? — Aravalli Facts & Trivia
Oldest Mountains in India
The Aravalli Range is one of the oldest mountain systems in the world, estimated at over 2.5 billion years old.
Natural Desert Shield
It’s a barrier slowing the Thar Desert’s expansion, protecting cities like Delhi, Gurugram, Faridabad, and Jaipur from extreme dust and heat.
Forest Survey Finds
Only a small fraction of hills exceed 100 metres — meaning most of the range could lose legal protection under the new rule.
Sources of Major Rivers
Waterways like the Chambal, Sabarmati, and Luni have headwaters linked to Aravalli ecosystems.
Other Forest & Cutting News in India
India’s Forests Under Stress
Recent analyses show India is losing forest area to invasive species rapidly — about 15,000 sq km per year — as plants like Lantana camara and Prosopis juliflora threaten native ecosystems.
Tree Felling and Court Actions
India’s Supreme Court condemned large-scale tree felling in Hyderabad and demanded restoration plans, highlighting the rising trend of clearing green cover even within urban zones.
National Forest Decline Concerns
Experts warn that India’s forests appear stable on paper, but actual biodiversity-rich areas are shrinking due to non-classification, legal loopholes, and land-use changes.
Illegal Mining in Aravallis
Drone surveys near Bhilwara, Rajasthan, uncovered massive illegal mining beyond authorised limits, with extraction volumes dramatically exceeding permits.
Political Uproar Over Tree Cutting & Mining
In the Chhattisgarh Assembly, lawmakers accused the government of illegal deforestation under the pretext of mining, alleging manipulation of village councils and environmental laws.
The Real Environmental Risk
This isn’t just about legal definitions — it’s about breaking a fragile natural balance. Cutting protected status from ecologically vital hills could:
- Increase dust pollution and respiratory diseases
- Reduce groundwater, worsening water shortages
- Destroy wildlife habitats
- Accelerate desertification
- Trigger worse heat waves and climatic extremes
Experts warn that redefining the Aravallis by height undermines ecosystems that don’t obey human measurement systems.
A Call to Action
All citizens — especially those in Delhi-NCR, Haryana, Rajasthan, and Gujarat — must raise their voices:
Support Aravalli protection campaigns
Oppose illegal mining & deforestation
Push for science-based, holistic environmental policy
Plant trees and reduce pollution locally
Because if we lose the Aravallis, we won’t just lose hills — we’ll lose clean air, water resilience, biodiversity, and climate stability.
The Aravalli Range is more than limestone and scrub — it’s India’s living environmental heritage. When we protect it, we protect ourselves, our children, and the future of this land.
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