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New Delhi: Amid intensifying concerns over ecological degradation and fears of legitimised mining in the fragile Aravalli ecosystem, the Supreme Court has taken suo motu cognisance of issues surrounding the definition of the Aravalli Hills and Ranges, and will urgently hear the matter on December 29.The case, titled In Re: Definition of Aravalli Hills and Ranges and Ancillary Issues, will be taken up by a Special Vacation Bench headed by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, along with Justices J.K. Maheshwari and A.G. Masih

The court’s intervention comes in the backdrop of widespread public protests and criticism from environmental groups, who argue that the recently accepted elevation-based definition could dilute long-standing protections and open previously safeguarded areas to mining and construction.

How the controversy began

The Aravalli range stretches across Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan and Gujarat, but historically, different states followed different definitions of what constituted “Aravalli Hills” for the purpose of mining regulation. To bring uniformity, the Supreme Court had earlier constituted an expert committee to examine the issue.

In its report submitted in October 2025, the committee recommended that any landform with a minimum relative relief of 100 metres from the surrounding terrain be classified as an Aravalli hill. It further defined an Aravalli Range as two or more such hills located within a 500-metre proximity, measured from the outermost contour line.

In November 2025, a Bench led by then CJI B.R. Gavai accepted the committee’s recommendations, holding that a complete ban on mining could paradoxically encourage illegal mining and strengthen land mafias. Instead, the court opted for a regulatory framework centred on “sustainable mining” rather than blanket prohibition

Why activists are alarmed

Environmental activists and civil society groups argue that the 100-metre elevation threshold risks excluding large swathes of the Aravalli landscape that play a crucial role in groundwater recharge, biodiversity conservation and prevention of desertification, even if they do not meet the technical elevation criterion.

They fear the revised definition could retrospectively legitimise mining and real estate activity in areas earlier treated as protected under broader interpretations of the Aravallis, particularly in Haryana and Rajasthan.

The protests have underlined the Aravallis’ role as one of north-west India’s most critical ecological barriers, buffering the Indo-Gangetic plains from desert expansion and supporting multiple river systems and aquifers.

Sustainable mining plan under scrutiny

While accepting the new definition, the Supreme Court had simultaneously directed the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) to prepare a Management Plan for Sustainable Mining (MPSM) for the entire Aravalli range, in consultation with the Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education (ICFRE).

The MPSM is mandated to:

• Conduct geo-referenced ecological assessments

• Identify wildlife habitats, aquifer zones and high eco-sensitive areas

• Demarcate zones where mining must be prohibited, restricted or conditionally permitted

• Lay down detailed restoration and rehabilitation norms

Until the plan is finalised, the court had allowed existing legal mining operations to continue strictly under environmental safeguards, while ruling out a complete shutdown that could push activities underground

What lies ahead

The December 29 hearing is significant because it signals that the Supreme Court is willing to re-examine the ecological and legal consequences of its earlier acceptance of the new definition, especially in light of public opposition and environmental risk assessments.

The outcome could influence:

• The final contours of the sustainable mining plan

• The extent of mining permissible in Aravalli districts

• Future land-use policy across four states

At stake is the balance between regulatory mining, environmental conservation and long-term ecological security of one of India’s oldest and most fragile mountain systems.