INTRODUCTION
A pen can cause more damage than a bulldozer when it comes to environmental law. One of the oldest mountain ranges in the world, the Aravalli Hills, is the subject of a high-stakes court dispute concerning ‘administrative erasure.’ The 100-meter rule is a dangerous new loophole that has been revealed by the most recent debate surrounding the Aravalli Hills. We have essentially given our most important ecological defence a ‘death warrant’ by formally stating that any hill less than 100 meters is no longer a part of the Aravalli range.[1] The Supreme Court halted this erasing in late January[2], but the question still stands: Can a mountain range withstand a legal definition intended to annihilate it?
THE ARAVALLI: WHY IN NEWS?
As of late January 2026, environmentalists are referring to the bizarre struggle taking place in India’s legal system as ‘Administrative Erasure.’ When a technical definition was put forth to expedite mining, a landform would only be legally recognised as an ‘Aravalli Hill’ if it rose at least 100 meters above the surrounding terrain, the debate broke out.
According to recent scientific data from the Forest Survey of India (FSI)[3], this one rule would essentially eliminate almost the whole ridge system in Delhi and Haryana, as well as more than 90% of the hills in Rajasthan. Even though the leopards are still patrolling their slopes and the rocks are still replenishing our declining groundwater, the property becomes ‘wasteland’ on paper, suitable for the mining lobby and real estate developers.
THE 100-METER MYTH: WHY SIZE DOES NOT MATTER IN ECOLOGY?
The government’s fixation on the 100-metre rule is a classic example of ‘Peak-Centric Fallacy’ (a scientifically flawed belief that a mountain range’s value is defined only by its highest points). In environmental law, the value of a landform is determined by its function and not its stature.
The Aravallis are the main water recharge system in North India.[4] The shattered quartzite rocks of the range absorb monsoon rainfall and filter it into the earth like a massive sponge. According to experts, these hills have the capacity to replenish up to 20 lakh litres of water per hectare annually[5]. The majority of this absorption takes place in ‘low relief’ regions, which are the short ridges and gentle slopes that the 100-meter limit would have excluded.
The rich plains of North India and the Thar Desert are separated only by the Aravalli range. The scorching, dusty winds are slowed down by these old, worn ridges. The 100-meter rule disregards the gaps. AQI values may rise by an additional 20 to 30 points during summer dust storms if holes are carved in this shield, inviting the desert to march straight into cities like Delhi.[6]
Mountaintops are not the only places where rare plants, hyenas, and leopards can be found. They rely on the low-lying scrub and undulating valleys to move between habitats. The valleys and small hillocks that make up the range’s ‘connective tissue’ would no longer be considered ‘Aravallis’ under this rule. These corridors become targets for ‘safari’ or real estate projects once protection is removed. As a result, the range becomes a succession of ‘ecological islands’ where species are confined, increasing conflict between humans and animals, and ultimately causing local extinction.
GOVERNMENT ADVOCACY IN ACTION
Although the government says the 100-meter rule is for ‘transparency,’ the mining lobby is the main beneficiary of that transparency. By establishing a “binary” definition (Hill vs Not a Hill), the state gives developers a clear road map to target anything that is even a centimetre below the boundary. Instead of focusing only on form (height), true objectivity would take into account function (water recharge, air quality). The government is openly supporting the industrial shaving of the landscape by using height as the sole parameter.[7]
The Aravallis are not the Himalayas; they are 2.5 billion years old and naturally eroded. The Aravallis are being destroyed by the government under the pretext of their natural, ancient erosion. This ‘Indifference to Antiquity’ demonstrates that they do not regard the range as a geological monument, but rather as a heap of aggregate.
According to the press release in the Press Information Bureau[8], there is ‘no imminent threat’, and the fears are ‘alarmist.’ This is a typical example of administrative deception. The ground reality is changing while the government awaits the finalisation of the ‘Management Plan’ (MPSM). It is a clear contradiction to try to redefine 90% of the hills as ‘non-hills’ while claiming there is no threat.
These hills have been preserved for ages as ‘sacred groves’ by the local and Adivasi populations.[9] The government is eliminating the hills’ cultural and traditional significance by enforcing a ‘Survey of India’ map-based definition. In favour of a digital map that can be altered in an office, it is a colonial-style ‘top-down’ strategy that disregards the locals.
THE JUDICIAL U-TURN
In late 2025, it seemed the Aravallis were destined to become a ‘paper mountain’, but as January 2026 approached, the storyline changed in a manner that is uncommon in Indian courts. The Supreme Court did something extraordinary when it halted its own ruling in response to a significant public outcry and concerning statistics from environmental organisations.
In a pivotal hearing on January 21, 2026, it was held that a definition based solely on height could result in a “regulatory vacuum”. It mandated the creation of a new High-Powered Expert Committee whose job is to redefine the range. In contrast to earlier committees, this one must comprise:
- Independent Ecologists & Scientists who would view the hills as more than just a collection of coordinates, but as a living system.
- Experts in Mining and Forestry to evaluate the “cumulative impact” of mining on the low-lying ridges as well as the broader landscape.
- A Holistic Mandate: The committee must assess a hill’s significance as a wildlife corridor, its role in groundwater recharge, and its role as a climate shield in addition to its height.
CURRENT STATUS: THE WINTER OF ABEYANCE
All new mining leases in the Aravalli areas of Rajasthan, Haryana, Delhi, and Gujarat are presently completely prohibited[10]. Until the Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education (ICFRE) completes a ‘Management Plan for Sustainable Mining’ (MPSM), this prohibition will be in effect. Mines that are currently in operation are permitted to stay open, but they are subject to ‘strict surveillance’ and require a new environmental compliance audit.
To put pressure on the new expert committee to acknowledge low-lying hills and ‘Bani’ (holy groves) as inviolate zones, campaigners and local communities organised a 700-kilometre march from Gujarat to Delhi on January 24, 2026. The next major milestone is scheduled for mid-February 2026. The report to be submitted by the new expert committee will decide whether the mining lobby discovers a new loophole or if the ‘Peak-Centric Fallacy’ is permanently abandoned.
CONCLUSION: BEYOND THE RULER
The 2026 Aravalli catastrophe is a global warning that ecosystems are destroyed by definitions much more than bulldozers do. The January 21 U-Turn by the Supreme Court offers some hope by prioritising scientific rigour over bureaucratic ease; however, the battle goes on. Instead of considering high peaks as separate islands, true conservation must be comprehensive, safeguarding the ‘connective tissue’ of the terrain. The Aravalli Sanrakshan Yatra is marching toward Delhi with a single message: nature does not obey a ruler, and our laws must at last take the land’s living reality into account.
We are at the crossroads. We can either choose a future where ‘Aravalli’ is a meaningful word that protects our air and water, or we can allow it to become a hollow administrative label. If we let the law erase the foothills today, we won’t have to wait long for the desert to reach our doorsteps tomorrow.
Author’s Name: Mansi Verma (University of Lucknow)
References:
[1] In Re: Definition of Aravalli Hills and Ranges and Ancillary Issues [2025] SCC OnLine SC 2997.
[2] In re: T.N. Godavarman Thirumulpad v Union of India & Ors (Supreme Court of India, 21 January 2026)
[3] Forest Survey of India, ‘Technical Analysis of Aravalli Ridge Coverage and Impact of Exclusionary Height Metrics’ (December 2025).
[4] Central Ground Water Board, ‘National Compilation on Dynamic Ground Water Resources of India, 2025’ (Ministry of Jal Shakti 2025)
[5] R Sharma and others, ‘Understanding the Impact of Aravalli Hills Mining on Groundwater Vulnerability in Delhi-NCR’ (2025) 12(4) Journal of Environmental Science 402.
[6]‘The 100-meter Rule Disregards the Gaps: Delhi’s AQI and the Desert March (Environmental Review, 15 June 2025) <https://www.environmentalreview.in/delhi-aqi-dust-storms> accessed 30 January 2026
[7] Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, ‘Report of the Committee on Uniform Policy Level Definition of Aravalli Hills and Ranges’ (October 2025).
[8] Press Information Bureau, ‘Aravalli Hills: Protecting Ecology and Ensuring Sustainable Development’ (Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, 21 December 2025).
[9] Survival International, ‘Administrative Erasure and the Displacement of Adivasi Communities in the Aravalli Ranges’ (Briefing Paper, January 2026).
[10] MC Mehta v Union of India (2004) 12 SCC 118
