Aravalli Hills: India’s Ancient Shield at a Crossroads — Why Restoration and Protection Must Go Beyond Definitions

The Aravalli Hills—one of the oldest mountain systems on Earth—stand today not just as a geological wonder, but as a vital ecological shield for northern India. Stretching across Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan, and Gujarat, this ancient range plays an indispensable role in air quality regulation, desertification control, groundwater recharge, and biodiversity sustenance. The New Indian Express

Despite its ecological importance, the Aravalli landscape is facing renewed threats that demand urgent attention and collective action.

Dense forest and rocky terrain in Aravalli Hills

A Range Under Pressure: Legal, Ecological, and Social Challenges

In late 2025, a Supreme Court-linked ruling adopted a new legal definition of the Aravalli Hills, specifying landforms rising at least 100 metres above local relief as protected hills. While intended to bring clarity, this definition excludes nearly 90% of the historical Aravalli system from automatic protection, because most of the range consists of lower ridges and gentle slopes crucial for ecological functions.

Environmental experts and citizens fear that this narrowed definition could unintentionally expose these lower hills to mining, construction, and real estate pressures, undermining the range’s capacity to:

act as a natural barrier against dust storms and desertification

regulate micro-climate and air quality in Delhi-NCR and surrounding regions

maximize groundwater recharge critical for water-stressed communities across northern India

This concern is supported by decades of data showing that even unprotected, lesser-known segments of the Aravallis help slow the eastward advance of the Thar Desert and mitigate land degradation. The New Indian Express

Activists, students, and civil society groups have voiced strong objections to the revised definition and called for stronger, comprehensive legal safeguards that recognize the range’s entire ecological and hydrological fabric, not just its tallest peaks. The Times of India

Illegal Mining and Encroachment: Continuing Threats

Despite legal protections and Supreme Court directives, illegal mining and unauthorized constructions continue to damage key portions of the Aravalli foothills. These activities erode soil structure, diminish tree cover, and disrupt water channels that once naturally replenished aquifers. The Times of India

In Udaipur, for example, continued encroachment has already impacted groundwater resources and local ecosystems—an early warning of what can unfold across wider expanses if regulatory loopholes remain unaddressed. The Times of India

A Citizen Cry for Action

From silent protests in Jaipur to student marches in Delhi, community voices are rising to safeguard the Aravallis before irreversible loss occurs. Campaigners highlight that nearly 20% of the range may have already been degraded by mining activities, further underscoring the need for holistic protection strategies. The Times of India

This growing advocacy reflects a broader shift: environmental stewardship is no longer a peripheral concern—it is central to sustainable urban and rural resilience in one of the world’s most populous regions.

Restoration Is Not Optional—It’s Essential

To truly protect the Aravalli Hills requires:

✔ Enforcement of no-mining zones backed by transparent monitoring

✔ Expansion of legal protection to include lower ridges and foothills

✔ Large-scale afforestation and ecological restoration programs

✔ Community-based awareness and volunteer engagement campaigns

✔ Collaborative partnerships between NGOs, government, and corporates

Initiatives like tree plantation drives, water conservation efforts, and volunteer-led ecological education can help rebuild the fragmented landscape, restore biodiversity, and strengthen water tables. These efforts also build local livelihoods and create environmental ambassadors among youth and volunteers roach aims to create sustainable landscapes that support both nature and people.

Village settlement near Aravalli Hills with natural surroundings

In Conclusion

The story of the Aravalli Hills shouldn’t be about what the map says—they need protection for their ecological role, not just their height. As environmental science, community voices, and lived experience all confirm, the Aravalli range safeguards water, air, soil and culture for millions of people. Protecting it is a collective responsibility, one that requires proactive policy, vigilant enforcement, and widespread participation.

Now is the moment to shift from symbolic definitions to actionable conservation strategies—for the hills, for the heartlands of northern India, and for future generations.

Rocky outcrop with native plants in Aravalli Hills