Uniform Definition of Aravalli Hills and Ranges
Context:
The Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) recently issued a clarification regarding the Uniform Definition of the Aravalli Hills, which was approved by the Supreme Court on November 20.
The Ministry sought to allay concerns that the new definition would open ecologically fragile areas to illegal mining or construction.
The New Uniform Definition:
Final Report of the Committee on Uniform Definition of Aravalli Hills and Ranges, prepared by the Forest Survey of India (FSI), the Geological Survey of India (GSI) and the Supreme Court’s Central Empowered Committee (CEC).
Under the new definition proposed by a committee under the Environment Secretary, any landform that is at an elevation of 100 metres or more above the local relief will be considered part of the Aravalli Hills.
Two hill formations separated by more than 500 metres of plain land are treated as distinct, preventing artificial linking of isolated outcrops
The definition includes the hills along with their slopes and adjacent land.
The elevation is measured from the local profile (immediate surroundings) rather than a standardized baseline like the state's lowest elevation or mean sea level.
The report also notes that:
Around 90% of the Aravalli landscape consists of agriculture, settlements, forests, water bodies, and protected areas where mining is already barred
Any legally permissible mining must follow a Management Plan for Scientific Mining (MPSM) prepared by ICFRE, which the Supreme Court has made mandatory before new leases are even considered
Ministry’s Clarification and Protection Status:
The MoEFCC stated that no new mining leases would be allowed until a detailed study is undertaken as per the Supreme Court's order.
The Ministry emphasized that mining would be permissible in only 0.19% of the Aravalli's total expanse of 1.44 lakh sq km.
The government maintained that there is no imminent threat to the Aravallis' ecology and that protection remains robust under existing forest laws.
Concerns Raised:
Critics argue that the 100-metre benchmark and the use of local profile could result in significant parts of the Aravalli range being derecognized that is the Exclusion of Lower Hills
The definition may exclude most hilly tracts in Delhi NCR
Here the ranges significantly lose their height, potentially unlocking these areas for real estate development.