New Delhi: The Supreme Court has accepted the Centre’s decision to define Aravalli hills using a 100-metre height cutoff, a move that effectively excludes a large portion of the ancient hill range from protection, The Indian Express has reported. Notably, this acceptance comes despite objections raised by the court-appointed Central Empowered Committee (CEC) and red flags flagged earlier by the Forest Survey of India (FSI).
According to the report, the 100-metre criterion was introduced by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) to create a “uniform definition” of Aravalli hills, following directions from the apex court. However, internal assessments and submissions to the court reveal that this definition could exclude over 90 per cent of Aravalli hill formations, particularly lower hillocks that play a critical ecological role.
The FSI had warned that adopting the 100-metre threshold would result in 91.3 per cent of Aravalli hills—those measuring 20 metres or higher—being excluded from protection. These hills are spread across 15 districts in Rajasthan and extend into Haryana and Gujarat. The agency underlined that lower hills act as natural wind barriers against desertification and are crucial in preventing the eastward expansion of the Thar Desert.
The CEC, in its internal communications, also opposed the ministry’s approach. Former CEC chairman and ex-Director General of Forests, Siddhant Das, wrote that the committee believed the FSI’s earlier definition should be adopted instead. A presentation submitted to the court by amicus curiae K. Parameshwar warned that the 100-metre definition compromises the “integrity of the Aravalli as a geographical feature” and could open vast stretches to mining and other commercial activities.
Parameshwar further cautioned that once lower hillocks are excluded from the Aravalli classification, they would no longer be protected from mining, leading to severe ecological consequences, including increased desertification, groundwater depletion, and biodiversity loss. He termed the ministry’s approach “vague” and unsuitable for safeguarding the fragile ecosystem.
Despite these concerns, the Supreme Court accepted the Centre’s affidavit supporting the 100-metre cutoff. The Environment Ministry has maintained that mining is permitted in only 0.19 per cent of the total Aravalli area and that the final extent of protected hills will be known only after ground demarcation is completed.
However, environmental experts argue that the ruling provides a “green shield” to extensive mining activity by redefining the hills themselves, rather than explicitly permitting mining. Critics say the decision weakens long-standing protections for one of India’s oldest mountain ranges and sets a precedent where administrative definitions override ecological science.
The ministry is yet to clarify how future development and mining activities will be regulated in areas excluded under the new definition, even as concerns mount over the long-term environmental impact of the ruling.
The Indian Express has reported.
