The Supreme Court has approved a new, narrower definition for the Aravalli hills, considering only landforms over 100 meters high. This ruling removes legal protection from approximately 90% of the range, raising concerns about potential widespread mining and construction activities. Environmentalists warn this could severely damage the Aravallis' ecological role in moderating climate, recharging groundwater, and acting as a natural barrier, with potential consequences mirroring those seen in other regions prone to landslides and extreme weather. Calls for stronger safeguards and reconsideration of the verdict are growing.
Supreme Court's Landmark Ruling
The Supreme Court has endorsed the Union government's new definition of the Aravalli hills.
The definition stipulates that only landforms rising 100 metres above the local relief will qualify as Aravallis.
Impact on Protected Area
This ruling leads to the withdrawal of legal protection from approximately 90% of the Aravalli mountain system.
Most stretches of the hills fall below the new 100-metre height threshold.
Ecological Concerns and Risks
A drastic contraction of legally recognised extent creates conditions for extensive mining and construction with minimal scrutiny.
Grave ecological risks are associated with such activities.
The 100-metre height filter ignores how ridge systems function as windbreaks and groundwater recharge zones.
The Aravallis have shaped northwest India's climate for millennia, slowing the Thar desert's march, absorbing dust, and moderating winds.
Stripping protections from lower formations risks dismantling this vital barrier system.
Worrying parallels are drawn from incidents like landslides and floods in other states due to diluted environmental protections.
Potential Consequences
Undermining the Aravallis could deepen existing vulnerabilities, such as Delhi's struggle with hazardous air pollution.
Mining and blasting near habitations, farms, aquifers, and wildlife habitats require stringent prohibition.
Calls for Action
Experts suggest a new definition grounded in geology, vegetation, slope, hydrology, and wildlife presence for a more accurate framework.
Stronger legal safeguards are urgently needed.
Designating the Aravallis as a Critical Ecological Zone across all four states they span is proposed for unified protection.
Public mobilisation and a potential willingness by the Supreme Court to revisit its verdict are seen as ways to safeguard the range.
Impact
The ruling directly impacts companies involved in mining and construction activities in and around the Aravalli region.
It could lead to significant environmental degradation, affecting regional climate and water resources.
Investor sentiment towards companies operating in ecologically sensitive zones might be influenced by increased regulatory scrutiny or potential future policy changes.
Impact Rating: 7
Difficult Terms Explained
Aravalli hills: An ancient mountain range in northwestern India.
Local relief: The difference in elevation between the highest and lowest points in a particular area.
Aquifers: Underground layers of water-bearing permeable rock, from which groundwater can be extracted.
Critical Ecological Zone: An area designated for special environmental protection due to its ecological importance.
Chipko movement: A historical non-violent social and ecological movement in India where villagers hugged trees to prevent them from being felled.
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