Congress warns Aravallis face major dilution of protection under new hill definition

The Congress on Thursday alleged that more than 90 per cent of the Aravalli range could be left unprotected under the Centre’s redefinition of the hills, potentially opening vast stretches to mining and other commercial activities.

In a post on X, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said the revised criteria for defining the Aravallis reflected a sharp disconnect between Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s international rhetoric on environmental protection and domestic policy decisions. He accused the government of systematically undermining ecological balance by diluting environmental laws and pollution norms.

Under the new parameters, an “Aravalli Hill” is defined as a landform rising at least 100 metres above the surrounding terrain, while an “Aravalli Range” is described as a cluster of two or more such hills located within 500 metres of each other. Ramesh argued that this threshold would drastically shrink the area qualifying for protection.

Citing data from the Forest Survey of India, he said only about 8.7 per cent of the Aravalli hills rise above the 100-metre benchmark.

“This effectively means that over 90 per cent of the Aravallis may fall outside the scope of protection and could be opened up for mining, real estate and other activities, further damaging an already fragile ecosystem,” he said.

The former Union environment minister said the move was part of what he described as a broader pattern, including the weakening of environmental and forest laws, dilution of pollution standards, and erosion of the authority of institutions such as the National Green Tribunal.

His comments come amid a political and policy row over the redefinition of the Aravallis, one of India’s oldest mountain ranges and a critical ecological barrier against desertification. In response to the controversy, the Centre on Wednesday issued directions to states imposing a complete ban on granting new mining leases within the Aravalli range.

The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has also asked the Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education to identify additional areas across the Aravallis where mining should be prohibited, beyond zones already under restriction.

Despite these assurances, the Congress maintains that the revised definition itself risks leaving large parts of the range exposed, warning that the long-term environmental consequences could be severe.

With PTI inputs