🌍 Aravalli Hills Under Threat? ⚖️ Supreme Court 100-Metre Rule Explained & Environmental Impact #ImaginationOfScience

Aravalli Hills Under Threat? Supreme Court (100-Metre Rule) & Why It Matters ?

The Aravalli Hills, one of the world’s oldest mountain ranges, form a critical ecological barrier across Rajasthan, Haryana, and the Delhi–NCR region. They regulate groundwater recharge, prevent desertification, support biodiversity, and moderate regional climate.

In recent years, these hills have become the centre of an intense legal and environmental debate following a proposal to redefine the Aravallis using a 100-metre height rule. The controversy escalated when the Supreme Court of India intervened, putting the proposal on hold and reaffirming earlier environmental safeguards.

Why the 100-Metre Rule Triggered Alarm

The proposed rule sought to classify only those landforms rising 100 metres or more as part of the Aravalli range. Environmentalists and scientists warned that such a narrow definition could exclude a vast majority of the hills — particularly lower hillocks and rocky outcrops — from legal protection.

This raised serious concerns that large tracts of ecologically sensitive land could be opened up for:

• Mining and quarrying
• Real estate and infrastructure projects
• Deforestation and land-use change

The Supreme Court acknowledged that the threat to the Aravallis is not limited to mining alone, but also includes decades of unchecked urbanisation, construction, and ecological neglect.

Supreme Court Steps In: Return to Scientific Definition

Recognising the potential environmental damage, the Supreme Court stayed the acceptance of the 100-metre definition and reverted to the Forest Survey of India’s 2010 definition of the Aravalli Hills.

This definition is based on a scientific three-degree slope criterion, rather than a simplistic height-based cutoff, and treats the Aravallis as a continuous geological and ecological system.

The Court reiterated that no new or renewed mining leases can be granted in the Aravalli Hills under this definition without explicit permission from the Supreme Court.

The High-Powered Expert Committee (HPEC)

To address ambiguity and ensure transparency, the Supreme Court proposed the formation of a High-Powered Expert Committee (HPEC). This committee is expected to include scientific experts, environmental authorities, and stakeholders.

Its mandate includes:

• Identifying areas included and excluded under the 100-metre rule
• Assessing ecological impact of existing and proposed mining
• Studying ecological continuity between hills and hillocks
• Evaluating risks of mining in gaps between hill formations
• Ensuring decisions are science-based, not administrative shortcuts

The Core Concern: Mass Exclusion of Hills

A key concern highlighted before the court was that out of more than 12,000 Aravalli hills measuring 20 metres or more, only around 1,048 hills may qualify under the 100-metre rule.

The court stressed that such large-scale exclusion cannot be justified without exhaustive geological, environmental, and scientific investigation — including accurate measurement of all hill systems.

Aravallis: More Than Just Hills

Environmental experts argue that the Aravallis should not be viewed merely as isolated hills defined by height. They are a living ecological system that:

• Recharges groundwater aquifers
• Controls air pollution and dust storms
• Prevents desertification from the Thar
• Provides wildlife corridors and biodiversity support

Once damaged, these ancient formations — over a billion years old — cannot be restored through human intervention.

🔴 Current Status (Important Update)

The 100-metre Aravalli definition remains stayed. The Forest Survey of India’s 2010 definition continues to govern land-use and mining decisions.

No mining activity can proceed without explicit approval from the Supreme Court, and the proposed expert committee is expected to conduct a comprehensive review before any final policy change.

Until then, the Court has ensured that no irreversible ecological damage is allowed in the Aravalli region.

Why This Case Matters

The Aravalli case is not merely a legal dispute over definitions. It reflects a deeper question:

Should environmental protection depend on arbitrary measurements — or on ecological reality?

The Supreme Court’s intervention signals a shift toward science-based environmental governance, recognising that ecosystems cannot be reduced to numbers alone.

Stay curious. Question everything.

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