Aravalli Definition: Centre Rejects Mining Allegations, Emphasises Protection
Context: The Centre recently clarified its new definition of the Aravalli hills, rejecting allegations that it aims to facilitate large-scale mining. This new definition, approved by the Supreme Court, is designed to provide stronger protection to the ancient mountain range.
Background
The Aravalli Range is one of the oldest mountain ranges in the world, stretching across Rajasthan, Haryana, Gujarat, and Delhi. It serves as a critical green lung for the Delhi-National Capital Region (NCR), playing a vital role in environmental regulation, groundwater recharge, and biodiversity.
For a long time, the Aravallis have faced threats from illegal and unregulated mining, as well as inconsistent definitions of what constitutes the "hills" across different states. This inconsistency led to ambiguity and allowed mining activities to continue dangerously close to hill bases.
Recognising these issues, the Supreme Court, while hearing long-pending cases on illegal mining in the Aravallis, constituted a committee in May 2024. This committee was tasked with recommending a "uniform definition" for the Aravalli hills to remove ambiguity and ensure consistent protection. The committee was chaired by the Environment Ministry secretary and included representatives from Rajasthan, Haryana, Gujarat, Delhi, along with technical bodies.
Key Points
- Date of Statement: The Centre made this clarification on Sunday, December 21, 2025.
- Centre's Rejection of Allegations: The Environment Minister, Bhupender Yadav, speaking from the Sundarban Tiger Reserve, firmly denied reports that the new definition was designed to allow large-scale mining. He stated that the Supreme Court-approved framework actually provides stronger protection for the mountain system.
- Increased Protected Area: The Environment Minister highlighted that the new Supreme Court-approved definition will bring more than 90% of the Aravalli region under "protected area" status.
- Standardised Definition: The government explained that the definition of Aravalli hills and range has been standardised across all states on the directions of the Supreme Court. This aims to remove ambiguity and prevent misuse, particularly practices that allowed mining close to hill bases.
- Basis of New Definition: The committee found that only Rajasthan had a formally established definition, which it had been following since 2006. This definition treats landforms rising 100 metres or more above local relief as hills and prohibits mining within the lowest bounding contour enclosing such hills, irrespective of their height or slope. All four states (Rajasthan, Haryana, Gujarat, Delhi) agreed to adopt this long-standing Rajasthan definition.
- Additional Safeguards: To make the definition more objective and transparent, the following additional safeguards were agreed upon:
- Hills located within 500 metres of each other will be treated as a single range.
- Mandatory mapping of hills and ranges on Survey of India maps before any mining decision is made.
- Clear identification of core and inviolate areas where mining is strictly prohibited.
- Clarification on "100-metre" Criterion: The government rejected claims that areas below 100 metres are now open for mining. It clarified that the restriction applies to entire hill systems and their enclosed landforms, not just to the hill peak or slope. Therefore, it is incorrect to conclude that all landforms below 100 metres are open for mining.
- Mining Prohibition in Sensitive Zones: The Supreme Court has accepted the committee’s recommendation to prohibit mining in core and inviolate areas. These include protected areas, eco-sensitive zones, tiger reserves, wetlands, and areas close to such sites.
- Limited Exemptions: Limited exemptions for mining are allowed only for critical, strategic, and deep-seated minerals in the national interest.
- Freeze on New Mining Leases: As per Supreme Court directions, no new mining leases will be granted in the Aravalli region until a comprehensive Management Plan for Sustainable Mining is prepared for the entire landscape. This plan will be developed by the Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education (ICFRE).
- Existing Mines: Existing mines may continue operations only if they strictly comply with the sustainable mining norms laid down by the committee.
- Current Mining Extent: District-level analysis across Rajasthan, Haryana, and Gujarat shows that legally approved mining currently covers a very small fraction of the Aravalli region, amounting to about 0.19 per cent of the total geographical area of 37 Aravalli districts. Delhi, which has five Aravalli districts, does not permit any mining.
- Primary Threat and Solutions: The government reiterated that the primary threat to the Aravallis remains illegal and unregulated mining. The committee has recommended stronger monitoring, enforcement, and the use of technology such as drones and surveillance to address this issue effectively.
Exam Relevance
- GS Paper 1: Geography
- Physical Geography: Significance of Aravalli Range as an ancient fold mountain system, its geological importance, and role in regional climate and hydrology.
- Environmental Geography: Impact of mining on fragile ecosystems, deforestation, land degradation, and biodiversity loss in mountain regions.
- GS Paper 2: Governance, Constitution, Polity
- Role of Judiciary: Supreme Court's active role in environmental protection, issuing directives, and forming expert committees to address complex issues (e.g., illegal mining).
- Environmental Governance: Challenges in implementing environmental policies, inter-state cooperation (or lack thereof) in environmental management, and the need for standardised regulations.
- Federalism: How states and the Centre coordinate on environmental issues, especially when resources span multiple states.
- GS Paper 3: Environment & Ecology, Economy
- Environmental Conservation: Importance of Aravallis as a green lung, efforts for its conservation, and the concept of protected areas and eco-sensitive zones.
- Environmental Pollution & Degradation: Causes and consequences of illegal and unregulated mining, dust pollution, and water contamination.
- Sustainable Development: Balancing economic activities (mining) with environmental protection, the concept of sustainable mining, and the role of bodies like ICFRE in developing management plans.
- Resource Management: Policy framework for mineral resource extraction, challenges in enforcement, and the use of technology (drones) for monitoring.
Likely Question Angles:
- Discuss the ecological significance of the Aravalli Range and the threats it faces. How has the Supreme Court's intervention helped in its conservation?
- Examine the challenges of implementing a uniform environmental policy across states, using the Aravalli mining issue as an example.
- Critically analyse the new definition of the Aravalli hills and the safeguards introduced. Do these measures adequately address the problem of illegal mining?
- What is the concept of sustainable mining? Discuss the role of institutions like ICFRE in promoting sustainable resource extraction.
- "The judiciary often steps in where executive action is lacking in environmental protection." Discuss this statement in the context of the Aravalli mining issue.