The Supreme Court’s acceptance of a new definition that counts only hills above 100 metres as part of the Aravalis has raised alarm among environmentalists. Experts fear that the move could strip protection from most of the ancient range, exposing regions, including Delhi-NCR, to harsher weather, drought and biodiversity loss
Aravali Hills, mountain ranges spans approximately 700 km in length. Pic/Getty Images
The Aravali Hills, one of the oldest mountain ranges in the world that spans approximately 700 km in length, has long served as a natural shield for blocking sand and dust from the Thar Desert while also aiding groundwater recharge and sustaining rich biodiversity for multiple states.
But, with the Supreme Court recently accepting a new government definition that only hills taller than 100 meters will count, experts have warned that many parts of the ecologically vital Aravalis may no longer be protected and thus could expose many regions, including Delhi, to harsher weather and drought conditions.
“Calling only hills above 100 metres ‘Aravalis’ erases the landscape that keeps North India breathing and feeds our wells. On paper, it’s ‘sustainable mining’ and ‘development’, but on the ground it is dynamite (with) roads and pits cutting through leopard corridors, village commons and Delhi-NCR’s last green shield,” said Harjeet Singh, founding director, Satat Sampada Climate Foundation.
“Shrinking the definition means 90 per cent of this 700-km spine can be legally wiped away, a slow deletion of a mountain range and, with it, the water, wildlife and weather it steadies,” climate activist said.
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