Street and Digital Protests Erupt After Supreme Court Redefines Aravalli Hills, Sparking Environmental Concern Over North India’s ‘Green Lungs’

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The Supreme Court delivered its judgment demarcating the Aravalli Hills and the Aravalli Range on 20 November 2025, triggering widespread protests across Rajasthan. The new ruling is feared to weaken legal protection for large portions of the ancient hill system, resulting in demonstrations by environmental activists, local communities, students, lawyers, and civil society groups. Street protests in cities such as Jaipur, Udaipur, and Kotputli have been backed by digital dissent across the nation on social media platforms.

A government-appointed committee under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) proposed the controversial uniform and elevation-based definition of the hills. The framework suggests that landforms rising 100 metres or more above the local relief will be considered part of the Aravalli, with an Aravalli Range defined as a group of two or more such hills located within 500 metres of each other. The move has been described as an attempt to bring clarity in identifying the landscape in accordance with regulatory norms.

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The elevation-based ruling has left a major portion of the Aravalli range vulnerable and without special protection, particularly its lower hills, slopes, and foothills. Reports suggest that more than 90 percent of the hills fail to meet the criteria, leaving ecologically sensitive land without the scope of legal protection. Critics warn that this could lead to mining expansion, construction, and increased commercial activity, causing damage to green cover and the broader ecosystem.

The ruling has faced backlash and opposition both online and offline, marked by rallies, sit-ins, marches, and symbolic fasts demanding a reconsideration of the decision. Hashtags such as #SaveAravalli have been circulating widely on social media, with users sharing videos, posters, and opinion pieces criticising the ruling. Digital creators have also posted provocative content comparing the decision to an imaginary scenario in which people below a certain height would be denied basic rights. While such comparisons are not grounded in legal reasoning, they reflect public anger and anxiety over environmental protection.

The Aravalli Range stretches approximately 670 kilometres across north-western India, starting from Delhi, running through Haryana and Rajasthan, and extending into Gujarat. It is among the oldest mountain ranges in the world and holds immense ecological significance. The hills act as a natural barrier that slows the expansion of the Thar Desert while also recharging groundwater in the region. Rainwater percolates through rocky slopes and fractured terrain, replenishing aquifers that support both rural and urban populations.

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The Aravalli also provide habitat for diverse plant and animal species by supporting forests and grasslands and helping regulate local and regional climate. According to local residents, even the lower-elevation areas have supported nearby villages during drought years by retaining rainwater and preventing wells from drying up. The range is often referred to as the “green lungs” of North India due to its role in filtering air pollution, particularly for the Delhi-NCR region.

The ruling, however, has been supported by the central government and authorities, who describe it as a balance between environmental protection and the livelihood needs of communities dependent on legal mining and construction activities. Officials have stated that only about 0.19 percent of the total designated Aravalli range would be used for mining under the new framework. The government has also maintained that no new mining leases will be granted in ecologically sensitive areas, asserting that the ruling does not amount to permitting unchecked mining or development. However, there have been 2,096 cases of illegal mining recorded in the Aravalli Hills across 20 districts of Rajasthan over the last five years, according to a July report.

The decision has intensified political debate in Rajasthan, with opposition parties accusing the government of prioritising commercial interests over environmental concerns. Protests in southern Rajasthan have also been joined by tribal and indigenous communities, given their deep cultural and livelihood connections with the Aravalli. For many residents, the geographical feature goes beyond hills, serving as a life-support system that has sustained agriculture, grazing, and drinking water sources for generations. Environmental organisations argue that defining the Aravalli solely on the basis of elevation ignores the functional ecology of the landscape.

What began as a technical legal definition has now evolved into a broader national debate on environmental protection, one that could shape the future of conservation policy for one of India’s most fragile and historically significant mountain systems.

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