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Supreme Court’s New Definition of the Aravallis(Aravalli Hills and Range)
- Ritik Agrawal
- 1 day ago
- 6 min read
CH Sandhya
Andaman Law College
Editor: Sakshi Soni
ABSTRACT
In this research article we deeply known about the Aravallis new given by the Supreme Court of India to establish unform definition followed by the States. We also cover why need of this new definition and its criticisms .
“New Definition of the Aravalli Hills bring Uniformity but, at the Cost of Ecological Protection”
INTRODUCTION
The Supreme Court’s adoption of an elevation-based definitiAravalli Hills Supreme Court rulingon for the Aravalli Hills seeks to bring long-awaited regulatory uniformity. However, it also raises serious concerns about the weakening of environmental protection for one of India’s most fragile and historically significant ecological systems.
The forests of the Aravallis( Aravalli Hills and Range) play a critical role in enhancing precipitation, preventing drought, regulating humidity, and stabilising climate patterns across Gujarat, Rajasthan, Haryana, and Delhi. Far from being isolated hillocks, the Aravallis function as a continuous ecological infrastructure that shields north-western India from desertification and environmental collapse.
Aravallis , frequently known as “green lungs” of North – Western India. It covers over approximately 670 kilometres, the Aravalli range is among the oldest fold-mountain systems in the world, with geological origins dating back nearly two billion years. The range begins near Delhi, passes through Haryana and Rajasthan, and terminates in Gujarat. Its highest peak, Guru Shikhar, located in Mount Abu, Rajasthan, rises to about 1,722 metres above sea level.
Despite their ecological and historical importance, the Aravallis have suffered decades of unchecked mining, deforestation, and fragmentation. It is against this Supreme Court, in late 2025, sought to define the Aravalli Hills and Ranges through a uniform, elevation-based criterion. While intended to prohibit illegal mining and streamline enforcement, the definition has triggered widespread criticism over its potential to exclude large portions of the ecosystem from protection.
IMPORTANCE OF THE ARAVALLIS
Aravallis serves as the indispensable ecological and socio-economic backbone of the region, functioning as the primary geographical barrier separating the arid North Western desert from the fertile Northern plains. The weathered and fissured rock formations of the Aravallis allow substantial aquifer replenishment and estimated at nearly two million litres per hectare making them indispensable for water security in an otherwise arid region. Their forest cover regulates wind velocity, supports rainfall stability, and reduces dust movement toward the National Capital Region. The Aravalli Hills are not merely geological formations; they are living ecological systems. Acting as a natural barrier, the range slows the eastward movement of the Thar Desert, stabilises micro-climates, and significantly contributes to groundwater recharge.
Over the past few decades, however, large-scale destruction has led to visible breaches in the range. From Ajmer to Jhunjhunu in Rajasthan and extending into Mahendergarh in Haryana, gaps created by mining have allowed desert dust to flow freely into Delhi-NCR, worsening air pollution and public health conditions. Despite repeated bans, unlawful mining continues openly in many regions. In this regard, Supreme Court since 2002, has been actively seized of the issues concerning mining operations within the Aravallis and the concomitant necessity of protecting its fragile ecology.
WHY THE DEFINITION OF THE ARAVALLIS REACHED THE SUPREME COURT
The Supreme Court has long been involved in regulating mining activities in the Aravallis through two landmark environmental cases: M.C. Mehta v.
Union of India (1985), concerning mining in Haryana, and T.N.
Godavarman Thirumulpad v. Union of India (1995), relating to forest and mining issues in Rajasthan.
During hearings in early 2024, serious questions arose regarding whether certain mining operations fell within the Aravalli Hills. The problem lay in the absence of a consistent definition. States followed different criteria of definition. For i.e. in Haryana, no formal definition existed at all. This lack of clarity created enforcement difficulties, encouraged illegal mining, and prolonged litigation.
Recognising this the Supreme Court, on 9 May 2024, directed the constitution of a “multi-agency committee” to formulate a uniform definition of the Aravalli Hills and Ranges. Such committee consist of
Secretary, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Government of India, Secretaries of the Department of Forests, Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi and the States of Haryana, Rajasthan and Gujarat, A representative of the Forest Survey of India, A representative of the Central Empowered Committee, A representative of the Geological
Survey of India, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Environment, Forest and
Climate Change, Government of India, shall be the convenor of the Committee. Further, the committee submitted its report on 3 Oct 2025.
THE SUPREME COURT’S ADOPTED DEFINITION
“In Re: Issues relating to definition of Aravalli Hills and Ranges (2025)”, the of the Supreme Court, exercising its wide suo moto powers, accepted the Committee’s recommendations and the operational definitions. The
Bench comprised Hon’ble the Chief Justice Surya Kant, Hon’ble Mr Justice J.K. Maheshwari, and Hon’ble Mr Justice Austin George Masih. The definition is,
Aravalli Hills: “Any landform located in the Aravalli districts, having an elevation of 100 metres or more from the local relief, shall be termed as Aravalli Hills. For this purpose, the local relief shall be determined with reference to the lowest contour line encircling the landform (as per the detailed procedure mentioned in the Report). The entire landform lying within the area enclosed by such lowest contour, whether actual or extended notionally, together with the Hill, its supporting slopes and associated landforms irrespective of their gradient, shall be deemed to constitute part of the Aravalli Hills”.
Aravalli Range: “Two or more Aravalli Hills, as defined above, located within the proximity of 500m from each other, measured from the outermost point on the boundary of the lowest contour line on either side forms Aravalli Range. The area between the two Aravalli hills is determined by first creating buffers with a width equal to the minimum distance between the lowest contour lines of both hills. An intersection line is then generated between the two buffer polygons by joining the intersection of both buffer polygons. Finally, two lines, are drawn perpendicularly from both endpoints of the intersection line and extended till it intersects the lowest contour line of both hills. The entire area of landforms falling between the lowest contour lines of these Hills as explained, along with associated features such as Hills, Hillocks, supporting slopes, etc., shall also be included as part of Aravalli Range”.
These definitions are not merely technical but they are ecological safeguards. By clearly identifying what includes as an Aravalli Hill or Range, they ensure that all critical landforms, slopes, and connecting habitats remain under statutory protection, thereby preventing ecological degradation. The Court emphasised that mining is not automatically permitted in areas below 100 metres. While existing legal mining operations were permitted to continue under strict compliance. the court imposed an interim moratorium “on new mining leases” until a comprehensive Management Plan for Sustainable Mining (MPSM) is prepared.
CRITICISM
Despite these safeguards, the definition has faced sharp criticism. Senior Advocate K. Parameshwar, serving as amicus curiae, opposed the elevation-based approach, arguing that earlier Forest Survey of India criteria based on slope, foothill buffers, and valley widths better preserved ecological continuity. According to Forest Survey of India data, out of 12,081 hills mapped across the Aravalli region, only 1,048 meet the 100metre criterion. Environmentalists fear that this could exclude numerous low-elevation hill systems that are ecologically vital but fail to meet the technical threshold.
A Supreme Court appointed committee in 2018 had already found that 31 out of 128 Aravalli hills in Rajasthan disappeared over 50 years due to illegal quarrying, even under the same 100-metre rule now adopted nationally. Critics argue that redefining the Aravallis through elevation alone risks repeating this history on a larger scale.
CONCLUSION
In my opinion, the new definition of the Aravalli Hills and Ranges is technically clear, but it is weak from an ecological point of view. While it may seem protective at present, fixed limits such as the 100-metre height and 500-metre distance may leave many important landforms outside protection. In a region where illegal mining and regulatory failure have occurred repeatedly, these limits can be misused in the future. To truly protect the Aravallis, the government should consider reducing these thresholds and expanding protection to cover more areas, keeping ecological safety above technical convenience.
REFERENCES
https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/energy-and-environment/supremehttps://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/energy-and-environment/supreme-court-accepts-centres-definition-of-aravali-hills-bans-grant-of-fresh-mining-leases/article70307837.ececourt-accepts-centres-definition-of-aravali-hills-bans-grant-of-freshhttps://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/energy-and-environment/supreme-court-accepts-centres-definition-of-aravali-hills-bans-grant-of-fresh-mining-leases/article70307837.ecemining-leases/article70307837.ece