As Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav went on an overdrive to defend the Supreme Court’s new 100-metre definition for the Aravalli hills, the Congress on Wednesday again accused the BJP-led Centre of “misleading the public regarding its environmental impact and endangering one of India’s most ecologically sensitive regions.” Congress’ Jairam Ramesh, a former environment minister, also questioned why the Narendra Modi government was pushing what he called a “fatally flawed redefinition” of one of India’s most ecologically sensitive regions.
“It is by now abundantly clear that the Union Minister of Environment, Forests and Climate Change is being economical with the truth on the Aravallis issue and is misleading the public. The redefinition of the Aravallis that the (Narendra) Modi government is adopting has been clearly and compellingly opposed by (i) the Forest Survey of India; (ii) the Central Empowered Committee, first set up by the Supreme Court in May 2002 and reconstituted in December 2023 to advise it on environment and forest matters; and (iii) the Supreme Court’s own amicus curiae (friend of the court). Why is the Modi government pushing through a fatally flawed redefinition of the Aravallis?” he asked.
The Forest Survey of India on Tuesday refuted claims that it carried out any study suggesting that only 9 per cent of the Aravallis are above 100 metres. Yadav, who accused the opposition of intentionally misinterpreting the Supreme Court’s verdict and using it as a political tool to serve its own interests, also referred to the FSI post to thrash “claims” that it carried out any study stating that only 9 per cent of the Aravallis lie above 100 metres. Urging people not to fall prey to opposition “propaganda”, he rejected charges that the government has diluted protections to open the Aravallis to mining or real estate interests.
According to Yadav, the Centre’s decisions are rooted in court rulings, scientific assessments, and due process.
Sources say “In light of the growing negative perceptions,” the minister has been asked “to clear the air,” but the ancient hills, which have long been a battleground for conservationists with repeated legal challenges over mining, urbanisation, and illegal activities, are unlikely to be forgotten in a hurry, and rightly so.
The Apex Court is said to have already admitted a petition challenging the 100-metre rule, filed by R P Balwan, a retired Haryana forest officer, who argues that this marker could undermine conservation efforts by excluding lower hills from protection. The Rajasthan Congress, meanwhile, has threatened to launch a mass agitation over the change in the definition of the Aravalli Hills.
The new definition classifies an “Aravalli Hill” as any landform rising at least 100 metres above its surrounding terrain and an “Aravalli Range” as a series of such hills within 500 metres of each other. Critics argue that this threshold excludes crucial parts of the Aravalli system, such as foothills and recharge zones, which play a vital role in groundwater recharge, biodiversity conservation, and soil stability.
Stretching from Gujarat to Delhi, the region is rich in critical minerals such as graphite, lithium, and rare earth elements, further fuelling suspicions of commercial exploitation. Environmental groups are demanding that the Aravallis across Gujarat, Rajasthan, Haryana, and Delhi be declared a Critical Ecological Zone.