Context:
The Aravalli hills, one of the world’s oldest mountain ranges, are facing intense mining pressure, triggering environmental degradation, public protests, and intervention by the Supreme Court of India.
Key Highlights:
Legal and Governance Developments
• In November 2025, the Supreme Court defined an Aravalli hill as one rising ≥100 metres above local relief.
• In December 2025, the Court stayed this order following widespread protests, fearing dilution of environmental protection.
Historical and Policy Background
• 2009 Supreme Court ban on mining and quarrying in parts of Haryana (Faridabad, Gurugram, Nuh).
• Mining remains contentious due to weak enforcement and definitional ambiguities.
Environmental and Social Impacts
• The Aravalli range (Delhi–Haryana–Rajasthan–Gujarat) is a 2-billion-year-old geological formation.
• Functions as a climate barrier, aids groundwater recharge, and checks desertification.
• Mining has led to water depletion, reduced agricultural productivity, and loss of livelihoods.
• Communities report respiratory diseases, silicosis, and extremely high AQI levels in some villages.
Stakeholders and Civil Society Response
• Local communities in Nuh (Haryana) and Kotputli (Rajasthan) leading protests.
• Aravalli Virasat Jan Abhiyan demands declaration of the Aravallis as an Ecologically Sensitive Region (ESR).
Relevant Prelims Points:
• Silicosis: Occupational lung disease from inhaling silica dust, common in mining areas.
• Ecologically Sensitive Region: Area requiring special environmental safeguards.
• AQI (Air Quality Index): Indicator of air pollution levels.
• Aravalli Range: Oldest fold mountain system in India, crucial for North India’s ecology.
Relevant Mains Points:
• Environment vs Development: Mining revenues versus long-term ecological security.
• Governance Challenges: Ambiguous definitions enabling regulatory loopholes.
• Federal and Local Impact: Environmental degradation disproportionately affects backward districts like Nuh.
• Judicial Role: Balancing economic activity with constitutional duty to protect the environment.
- Way Forward:
– Declare the Aravallis an Ecologically Sensitive Region.
– Conduct a comprehensive cumulative impact assessment.
– Strengthen monitoring and enforcement against illegal mining.
– Promote alternative livelihoods and restoration ecology.
UPSC Relevance
• GS 1: Indian Geography
• GS 2: Governance, Judiciary
• GS 3: Environment & Ecology, Sustainable Development
• Prelims: Aravalli range, mining impacts, silicosis