Aravalli Hills alive with cautious optimism despite SC order

Aravalli range is among the world's oldest and most ecologically significant mountain systems. Dating back to Proterozoic era, around 2.5 bn yrs ago, it has shaped the ecological, hydrological and climatic history of the Indian subcontinent. Stretching roughly 692 km from Palanpur in Gujarat through Rajasthan and Haryana to Delhi, it acts as a barrier against desertification and plays a vital role in groundwater recharge.

Supreme Court's Nov 20 order has sparked public concern, with fears that Aravalli has been left vulnerable - concerns rooted in the region's long history of unregulated mining, land- use change and environmental degradation. Closer reading of the judgment, however, along with subsequent technical and policy clarifications, presents a more nuanced picture.

Under the framework laid down by the court:

• Any landform with a relative relief of 100 m or more is protected, along with its supporting slopes, to prevent exploitation of ecologically critical foothills.
• A cluster-based definition further groups hills located within 500 m of one another, safeguarding intervening valleys, wildlife corridors and hydrological linkages, and preserving the integrity of the ridge system rather than fragmented hillocks.
• Areas with a relief of less than 100 m remain open to development, but not as unregulated spaces. The court has clarified that such areas are not automatically available for unrestricted use, and that all development remains subject to regulatory scrutiny, environmental safeguards and cumulative impact assessments.

Para 44 recognises the need for a well-designed Aravalli Management Plan for Sustainable Mining (MPSM). This is required to identify areas where mining may be permitted only under exceptional and scientifically justified circumstances, underscoring the court's intent to balance ecological protection with tightly regulated economic activity, and to prevent indiscriminate mining.

By directing that Aravalli boundaries be mapped on official Survey of India toposheets, the court addresses long-standing administrative ambiguities that have often been exploited to enable illegal mining.

Equally significant is regulatory discipline embedded in the order. The environment ministry has been directed to prepare MPSM through Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education (ICFRE) for the entire range. Treating the range as a single ecological entity strengthens landscape-level integrity, rather than fragmenting governance along administrative boundaries.

Para 50(iv) further clarifies that land within the Aravalli landscape cannot be altered without statutory approvals under MPSM. Until the plan is finalised, no new mining leases can be granted. Once in place, all activities - mining or otherwise - will face far stricter scrutiny. This limits discretionary land-use changes and reinforces that ecological sensitivity, not administrative convenience, must guide decisions.

The court has also directed that the Saranda and Chaibasa model from Jharkhand be used as a reference. In Saranda, ICFRE employed satellite imagery and geospatial mapping to identify 'inviolate' zones. It gives ICFRE flexibility to identify prohibited areas based on ecological sensitivity, conservation priority and restoration needs, recognising the historical and ecological significance of the ridge.

This approach mandates cumulative impact assessment and ecological carrying capacity analysis at a regional scale, possibly for the first time in the mining sector. Given the discretion entrusted to ICFRE, claims that 90% of the Aravalli hills will be opened for mining appear unsupported by scientific evidence.

A similar MPSM approach can help delineate geo-referenced ecological zones, clearly separating areas requiring absolute protection from those where limited, tightly regulated activity may be considered. Such spatial clarity is essential to safeguard biodiversity, aquifer systems and landscape connectivity from piecemeal decision-making.

Teri's work on the Aravalli landscape shows:

• Restoration and rehabilitation must be integral to mining governance, not deferred to the post-closure stage.
• Scientific interventions - improving soil health, enhancing water-holding capacity and ensuring vegetation survival in semi-arid conditions - must be embedded from the outset.
• Having long protected these landscapes, local communities should be recognised through sustainable livelihood opportunities, roles in ecological restoration and transparent benefit-sharing mechanisms. Well-regulated approaches, including tools such as carbon financing, can align conservation outcomes with local economic resilience.

Taken together, the court's order offers grounds for cautious optimism. By mandating an MPSM, endorsing sustainable practices and insisting on ecological integrity across the full expanse of the Aravallis, it creates an opportunity to reset governance of this fragile landscape.

With guidelines now in place, the task ahead lies in transparent implementation, institutional coordination and sustained scientific oversight. If pursued in this spirit, the Aravallis can be protected not merely as an ancient geological formation but as a living system that supports livelihoods, climate resilience and future generations.