What is Aravalli Green Wall Project?

The issue regarding the Aravalli Range has gained significant prominence due to a landmark Supreme Court order passed on November 20, 2025, which sought to resolve decades of ambiguity surrounding the definition of these hills. The controversy centers on the balance between economic mining needs and the ecological survival of one of the world’s oldest mountain systems.

Why in the News?

• Supreme Court Order (Nov 20, 2025): The Court adopted a uniform definition for the Aravallis and imposed an interim moratorium on all new mining leases until a landscape-wide Management Plan for Sustainable Mining (MPSM) is finalized.

• Definition Controversy: The Court accepted a definition classifying “Aravalli Hills” only as landforms 100 metres or higher above the local relief. Environmentalists argue this excludes nearly 90-92% of the hills, leaving lower ridges—crucial for groundwater and air quality—vulnerable to exploitation.

• Recent Government Directive (Dec 24, 2024): Following public outcry, the Union Environment Ministry (MoEF&CC) reiterated a complete ban on new mining leases and directed the ICFRE to identify additional “prohibited zones” beyond the 100-metre rule to expand the protected area.

Key Points of the Controversy:

1. The “100-Metre” Rule & Ecological Impact

• The Definition: An “Aravalli Hill” is now defined as a landform rising at least 100 metres from the local ground level. An “Aravalli Range” is defined as two or more such hills within 500 metres of each other.

• The Concern: Critics argue that the Aravallis are naturally weathered and low-lying. Using a height-based threshold instead of the 3-degree slope formula (previously used by the Forest Survey of India) effectively “derecognizes” most of the range in the Delhi-NCR and Haryana regions.

• Consequences: If these areas are not legally recognized as “Aravalli,” they may lose protection against tree cutting, real estate development, and non-critical mining.

2. Management Plan for Sustainable Mining (MPSM)

• Central Supervision: No new leases can be granted until the Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education (ICFRE) completes a scientific mapping.

• Exceptions: The Court allowed government-sanctioned mining of critical and strategic minerals (e.g., those used in high-tech and green energy) but halted common stone and mineral quarrying.

• Rationale: The Court avoided a “complete ban” on existing legal mines, fearing it would trigger a surge in “illegal mining” by the sand and stone mafia to meet developmental demand.

3. The “Green Wall” vs. Deforestation

• Aravalli Green Wall Project: The Centre is promoting a 5 km-wide green belt to restore 26 million hectares by 2030.

• The Conundrum: Environmentalists note that afforestation (planting new trees) cannot immediately replace the complex ecosystem services of old-growth forests (deforestation), especially regarding groundwater recharge and local climate regulation.

4. Trust Deficit and Transparency

• Revenue vs. Ecology: Since mining is a significant source of state revenue, there is a perceived conflict of interest in how state governments enforce environmental norms.

• Public Domain Data: A major criticism highlighted in the news is that much of the technical data used to justify the new definition is not easily accessible to the public, leading to a “trust deficit” between the government and environmental stakeholders.