INTERVIEW | Aravallis among the oldest mountain systems in world
After public outrage, the Supreme Court stayed November 20 order on the Aravalli mountain range, saying only hills with a height of 100 metres or more would be considered as part of the range. The 2010 Forest Survey of India report states only 8% of the nearly 12,000 hills in Rajasthan are higher than 100 metres. If such hills are excluded from the Aravalli range, questions arise about their legal and ecological protection, M K Pandit , former head of geology department at the University of Rajasthan, tells TNIE . Excerpts: How do you see the uproar over the November 20 order in the context of the environmental health of the Aravallis? The Aravalli range is a protective shield for North India. Its total length is about 692 km, of which nearly 80%around 550 kmlies in Rajasthan. Of the states total hills, only 1,048 are more than 100 metres high, meaning about 8.7% qualify under the new definition. Without the Aravallis, many rivers in North India would not exist. Forests, plant species, minerals, and invaluable ecological assets would be lost. According to internal FSI data, Rajasthan has 12,081 hilly areas with elevations above 20 metres. The Aravallis prevent desertification, recharge groundwater, and convert rainwater into seasonal rivers. They act as a barrier against dust storms and hot winds from the west. In essence, the Aravallis are the lifeline of Rajasthan, central to its water security, climate regulation, and ecological balance. INTERVIEW | Aravalli should be defined in terms of geology than height Why has illegal mining continued for decades? Illegal mining thrives due to collusion. Different states define Aravalli boundaries differently, creating confusion about permissible mining zones. This ambiguity allows the mining mafia to exploit loopholes. When and why did the Supreme Court intervene? In 1992, environmentalist M C Mehta approached it against illegal mining in Delhis Aravalli region. In 1996, illegal construction was banned, followed by a mining ban in Delhi-NCR in 2002. In 2009, mining was prohibited across the Aravalli districts, and action was ordered against illegal operators in Rajasthan and Haryana. In March 2024, the court directed the formation of a panel under the environment ministry. A Central Empowered Committee was formed that May. The SC accepted its recommendations on November 20. Why did the court adopt the 100-metre criterion? The concept traces back to American geologist Richard Murphy (1968), who suggested that landforms above 100 metres qualify as mountains. Rajasthan adopted this formula for its mining policy in 2003. The MoEFCC committee accepted this criterion, along with recommendations for scientific mapping, impact assessments, and bans in sensitive areas. SC stay on Aravalli order leaves BJP on the defensive in Rajasthan as Congress calls off agitation Does the height include slopes? Yes. A mountain includes the peak and all surrounding slopessteep or gradualup to where they end. What about smaller hills between two 100-metre peaks? If two Aravalli hills of 100 metres or more are within 500 metres of each other, they are treated as a single unit. All intervening land, including smaller hills, valleys, and mounds, is also protected, preventing mining or construction in between. The government claims most Aravalli areas are already protected. Is this right? Yes. Mining is prohibited in reserved forests, wildlife sanctuaries, national parks, and eco-sensitive zones. Legal mining is limited to mineral-rich zones. The greater concern remains illegal mining. Union Minister Bhupender Yadav has stated that only 0.19% of the total Aravalli area is under legal mining. How critical is the Aravalli range for wildlife? Extremely critical. The Aravallis host 22 wildlife sanctuaries and three tiger reserves. Species like leopards, hyenas, jackals, nilgai, porcupines, and numerous birds depend on this ecosystem. Sanctuaries like Ranthambore, Sariska, Mukundra owe their existence to the Aravallis.
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