A recent Supreme Court ruling on the Aravalli hills has sparked widespread debate, street protests, and a social media campaign trending as #SaveAravalli. Environmentalists and citizens fear the judgment could weaken long-standing protections for one of North India’s most critical ecological barriers.
What did the Supreme Court say?
In what is being termed the “100-metre ruling,” the Supreme Court clarified that hills in the Aravalli range below 100 metres in height cannot automatically be classified as ‘forest land’. The court stated that land classification must be determined based on official records, government notifications, and ground realities, rather than altitude alone.
Importantly, the court did not deregulate the Aravallis wholesale. It cautioned against blanket classifications and emphasized case-by-case assessment.
Why are environmentalists concerned?
Experts from the Save Aravalli Trust, including Vijay Benjwal and Neeraj Srivastava, argue that the ruling could have serious consequences in Haryana, where only two peaks exceed 100 metres—Tosham (Bhiwani) and Madhopur (Mahendragarh). The concern is that large portions of the range may now fall outside effective protection.
Environmentalists warn that dilution of safeguards could:
Increase dust storms and air pollution, worsening Delhi-NCR’s air quality
Reduce groundwater recharge, leading to falling water tables and dry borewells
Intensify heatwaves
Trigger public health issues, especially respiratory illnesses
Encourage migration due to declining habitability
They also allege that the ruling could benefit mining and construction interests if misused, accelerating desertification and allowing the Thar Desert to advance eastward.
Why the Aravallis matter
The Aravalli range acts as a natural shield against desert dust, supports biodiversity, and plays a key role in maintaining climatic balance. Historically, Delhi was chosen as India’s capital partly due to the natural equilibrium created by the Aravallis on one side and the Yamuna river on the other.
Protest movement and public response
The Save Aravalli Trust has announced plans to submit memorandums to district magistrates in 150 districts. An online petition opposing potential misuse of the ruling has already garnered over 41,000 signatures. Protesters argue that the threat lies not in the judgment itself, but in how it could be interpreted or exploited.
Development vs environment
The controversy highlights a familiar tension between development and conservation. Experts stress that if land records are altered, environmental impact assessments bypassed, or regulatory relaxations granted indiscriminately, the ecological fallout could be severe for Delhi-NCR and beyond.
Stretching nearly 800 kilometres from Gujarat through Rajasthan, Haryana, and Delhi, the Aravalli range is among the world’s oldest mountain systems—around 2.5 billion years old. Much of it is recorded as revenue land, which had enjoyed indirect protection until now.
