Congress Questions Modi Govt Over Supreme Court’s New Aravalli Definition
Congress accuses Centre of paving way for mining and real estate in ancient hills.
The Congress party has escalated its criticism of the Narendra Modi government regarding the Supreme Court's November 2025 acceptance of a new uniform definition for the Aravalli mountain range, alleging that it deliberately weakens longstanding ecological protections and could facilitate expanded mining and development activities across this vital natural barrier.
Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh has highlighted the Aravallis as a cornerstone of India's natural heritage, one of the world's oldest mountain systems spanning over 650 kilometers through Gujarat, Rajasthan, Haryana, and Delhi, emphasizing their critical role in preventing desertification from the Thar Desert, recharging groundwater aquifers, supporting biodiversity including wildlife corridors, and acting as a green lung that mitigates dust storms and air pollution in the Delhi-NCR region, while questioning the government's persistent efforts to redefine the range through elevation-based criteria.
Ramesh has challenged Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav's assertions that mining remains restricted to merely 0.19 percent of the broader 1.44 lakh square kilometer Aravalli district area, contending that this figure is misleading as it dilutes the actual hilly terrain proportion, where verifiable data from 15 districts indicates the Aravallis occupy about 33 percent of the land, potentially underestimating the exposed area and ignoring recommendations from bodies like the Forest Survey of India.
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Environmentalists and activists have echoed these concerns, warning that the new definition—classifying an Aravalli hill as a landform rising at least 100 meters above surrounding terrain and a range as connected hills within 500 meters—excludes vast low-relief ridges, foothills, and interconnected ecosystems essential for ecological continuity, potentially accelerating biodiversity loss, groundwater depletion, and heightened pollution risks in northwestern India.
In defense, Minister Yadav has maintained the government's unwavering commitment to Aravalli conservation, including initiatives like the Green Aravalli Wall project, accusing the Congress of disseminating misinformation, pointing to a Supreme Court-directed freeze on new mining leases pending a comprehensive sustainable management plan, and recalling alleged rampant illegal mining during prior Congress administrations in Rajasthan, while asserting that the redefinition applies solely to mining regulation and preserves protections for lower contours encircling qualifying hills.
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