Listen To This Post
New Delhi: Amid sustained protests by civil society groups and Opposition parties over the new uniform definition of the Aravalli hills, Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav on Sunday sought to reassure critics, asserting that mining would be permitted in only 0.19 per cent of the total Aravalli landscape spread across four states.
Addressing concerns after the Supreme Court last month accepted the Centre-backed uniform definition, Yadav said that out of the total 1.44 lakh square kilometres of the Aravalli range, over 90 per cent would remain fully protected. He categorically ruled out any mining permissions in Delhi.
“In the total area of 1.44 lakh square kilometres of the Aravalli, mining eligibility can only be in 0.19 per cent of the area. The rest of the Aravalli is preserved and protected,” the minister said.
In November 2025, the Supreme Court accepted a uniform definition of the Aravalli hills based on the recommendations of an expert committee appointed by the Centre. Under the definition, only landforms exhibiting a minimum relative relief of 100 metres above the surrounding terrain qualify as ‘Aravalli hills’.
Clarifying widespread apprehensions, Yadav said the definition does not merely rely on the height of a hill, but also takes into account its base and geological structure. “Mining will not be allowed around or beneath the hill structure,” he emphasised.
The minister noted that all four Aravalli states agreed to adopt the ‘100m above local relief’ criterion, which had already been in force in Rajasthan since January 9, 2006, and further refined to make the regulation more objective and transparent.
“All landforms enclosed within the lowest binding contour encircling hills of 100m or more, irrespective of their height and slopes, are excluded from mining leases,” Yadav said.
To further strengthen protection, hills located within 500 metres of each other are grouped as part of the Aravalli range. This ensures that valleys, intervening slopes and smaller hillocks between major peaks are also safeguarded, with mining prohibited across the entire 500-metre zone.
An official statement from the Environment Ministry reiterated that the Aravalli range includes all landforms existing within 500 metres of two adjoining hills of at least 100 metres in height. “All such landforms, irrespective of height and slope, are excluded from the grant of mining leases. It is therefore incorrect to conclude that mining is permitted in all areas below 100 metres,” the statement said.
Despite the clarifications, environmental groups remain wary, arguing that the revised definition could still open the door to increased mining activity in ecologically sensitive zones, setting the stage for further legal and political scrutiny of the policy.
