Bhubaneswar: The Supreme Court’s acceptance of a revised government definition of the Aravalli hills on November 20 has triggered widespread concern among environmental experts and citizen groups, who warn that the move could strip protection from nearly 90 per cent of the ancient hill range.
Under the new definition, only landforms rising above 100 metres will qualify as part of the Aravallis. Environmentalists argue that this narrow classification places vast stretches of the ecologically sensitive range outside the ambit of legal protection, pushing one of India’s most critical natural barriers into what activists describe as an “existential crisis”.
An online petition initiated by citizen collectives People For Aravallis and Save Sariska has strongly criticised the ruling, cautioning that the decision could irreversibly damage a hill system that stretches nearly 700 kilometres across Gujarat, Rajasthan, Haryana and Delhi.
A Fragile Shield Under Threat
The Aravalli range plays a crucial role in providing ecosystem services vital to northern India. These include climate regulation, carbon sequestration, groundwater recharge, air and water purification, and prevention of soil erosion. Experts warn that diluting protections could expose Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR), as well as neighbouring states, to increased dust storms, harsher weather patterns and worsening water stress.
“The Aravallis are not just hills; they are an ecological treasure,” environmentalists stress. India’s oldest mountain range is the source of key rivers such as the Chambal, Sabarmati and Luni, and supports a mosaic of habitats ranging from dry deciduous forests in Sariska Tiger Reserve to tropical thorn forests in the Delhi Ridge and wetlands like Sambhar Lake, which hosts tens of thousands of migratory birds.
Rising Environmental Risks
Decades of deforestation, mining, overgrazing and human encroachment have already weakened the Aravallis, accelerating desertification, depleting aquifers and threatening wildlife. Experts fear the revised definition could further open the door to unchecked development and pollution.
Executive Director of the Centre for Science and Environment, Anumita Roy Chowdhury, warned that the decision fails to address the root causes of dust pollution affecting NCR and adjoining states. “The role of the Aravallis, forests and green belts becomes crucial because this natural barrier is essential for protecting air quality,” she said, noting that the range not only blocks desert dust but also traps pollutants and absorbs toxic emissions.
Health and Social Impact
Environmental activist Bharati Chaturvedi described the Aravallis as “one of the last armours against dust” and cautioned that weakening protections would have severe health consequences. “Children, the elderly, outdoor workers and people living in poor-quality housing will bear the brunt,” she warned.
Green Wall Initiative in Focus
In March 2023, the government launched the Aravalli Green Wall initiative, aiming to develop a five-kilometre-wide green buffer across 6.45 million hectares to combat land degradation and desertification. Critics argue that the success of such initiatives depends on robust legal protection of the hill range itself.
As the debate intensifies, experts and civil society groups are urging a reconsideration of the definition, warning that redefining the Aravallis risks undermining one of India’s most vital ecological safeguards at a time when climate resilience has never been more critical.
-OdishaAge
