In the backdrop of a series of contentious decisions allowing mining, construction and industrial activity in ecologically sensitive regions across the country, the Union Environment Ministry has said it will not permit any relaxation for mining in the Aravalli Hills, following protests over a newly notified definition of the ancient mountain range.
The assurance comes amid growing criticism of government agencies and ministries over Hasdeo Arand coal mining in Chhattisgarh, offshore sand mining plans off the Kerala coast, illegal mining in Goa, and court-monitored interventions to protect Badkal Lake and Surajkund in Haryana.
The Aravalli Hills — among the world’s oldest mountain ranges — span four states: Delhi, Rajasthan, Haryana and Gujarat, covering 39 districts. Rajasthan alone accounts for nearly two-thirds of the range and has seen widespread protests after a Centre-led panel proposed a uniform definition of the Aravallis, which was subsequently accepted by the Supreme Court last month.
The new definition states that only landforms with an elevation of 100 metres or more above the local relief would qualify as part of the Aravalli Hills. However, an investigation by The Indian Express reported that under this criterion, more than 90% of the Aravalli range would fall outside the protective umbrella, making vast stretches vulnerable to mining and construction. The report further pointed out that only 8.7% of the hills met even a 20-metre elevation threshold, leaving numerous hillocks and forested areas exposed.
Facing protests and political backlash, particularly from Rajasthan, the Union Environment Minister denied that the revised definition would open the Aravallis to mining. The minister said the range had been defined as the extent of 500 metres between two or more hills, arguing that “due to this definition, more than 90% of the Aravallis will be under protection.”
The minister also ruled out any dilution of safeguards for mining in the region, stating that no new relaxations would be permitted in the ecologically fragile landscape, which plays a critical role in preventing desertification, recharging groundwater, and regulating climate across north-west India.
The controversy has unfolded against the backdrop of at least ten court orders over the years banning industrial and mining activity in the Aravallis, including landmark interventions by the Supreme Court and the National Green Tribunal. In the Badkal Lake and Surajkund case in Haryana, the apex court stepped in following environmental degradation caused by mining near sensitive tourist and forest areas. This case became famous as the M.C. Mehta case after M. C. Mehta, who was an environmental lawyer and activist, known as the “Green Avenger” or “One Man Enviro-legal Brigade,” had filed landmark Public Interest Litigations (PILs) since the 1980s.
Similar concerns have surfaced elsewhere. In Chhattisgarh’s Hasdeo Arand, large-scale deforestation linked to coal mining has triggered allegations of blame-shifting between the BJP and the Congress over environmental clearances. In Kerala, the Centre’s plan to auction offshore mining blocks sparked widespread protests, leading the Kerala Assembly to pass resolutions opposing the move. In Goa, the Shah Commission report accused both the state government and the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests of enabling illegal mining that severely damaged the region’s ecology.
In the Aravalli matter, the Supreme Court has directed the Union Environment Ministry to prepare a comprehensive management plan for sustainable mining across the entire range before granting any new mining leases. Environmentalists, however, remain sceptical, warning that definitional changes, even without explicit relaxations, could weaken long-standing protections for one of India’s most ecologically critical landscapes.
As public protests continue and scrutiny intensifies, the Aravalli debate has become emblematic of a broader national tension between resource extraction and environmental conservation.