Protect Our Ancient Heritage
India's 2-billion-year-old Aravalli mountain range—the last natural barrier protecting 50 million people from the Thar Desert
91% of these mountains (11,033 hills) lost legal protection in November 2025
The Latest Trick: "Complete Ban" That Protects Only 8.7%
Government announces mining ban while maintaining the 100m definition that excludes 91% of hills
What Government Announced
- "Complete ban on new mining leases"
- No mining until "sustainable plan" is ready
- Existing mines must follow strict rules
Why Experts Call It a Trap
- Ban only applies to hills above 100 meters
- That's just 1,048 hills out of 12,081 total
- The other 11,033 hills (91%) can still be mined
The Truth:
You can't ban mining in the Aravallis if you first remove 90% of the hills from the definition of "Aravalli."
The Ancient Mountains Guarding India's Heartland
One of Earth's oldest surviving mountain systems, the Aravallis predate the Himalayas by hundreds of millions of years. Stretching 670-700 km across four states, they serve as the last natural barrier protecting 50 million people from desertification.
Desert Barrier
Prevents Thar Desert from engulfing Delhi-NCR and surrounding regions
Water Recharge
Recharges 2 million liters of groundwater per hectare annually
Air Filtration
Natural pollution barrier and lung for 50 million people
How Systematic Destruction is Unfolding
30% of forest cover vanished in recent decades through urbanization, policy weakening, and illegal mining
Urbanization & Development
- 10,000+ acres of NCZ damaged in Delhi-Gurugram belt
- 500+ illegal farmhouses occupy protected land
- Gurugram lost half its forest cover (229 to 113 sq km)
Policy Weakening
- Only 8.7% of hills now qualify for protection
- 40-50% lost 'deemed forest' protection in 2023
- 63,000 acres removal attempt blocked by courts
Mining Mafia
- 31 of 128 sampled hills have disappeared
- 27,000+ illegal cases, only 11% resulted in FIRs
- DSP murdered investigating mining operations
The Legal Trick
- November 2025: Supreme Court adopts '100-meter rule'
- Only hills >100m above local relief qualify as protected
- Based on 1968 global map—never meant for conservation
- Result: 91.3% of hills lost protection in one ruling
The Phantom Ban
- Dec 24, 2025: 'Complete ban' announced
- But ban only applies to hills >100m (8.7%)
- Foothills, ridges, valleys (91%) remain unprotected
- Government calls it protection—experts call it misdirection
The Human Price of Short-Term Greed
Immediate profits, incalculable long-term costs for millions
Groundwater Catastrophe
Water tables dropped from 10m to 150m+
Mahendragarh: 1,500-2,000 feet depth required
Extraction exceeds recharge by 300%
Air Quality Devastation
12 breaches allow desert dust into Delhi-NCR
Winter AQI exceeds 450-490 (severe plus)
Kills 2 million Indians annually
Climate Disruption
3-4°C temperature increases in flattened areas
Delhi-NCR: 45.4°C to 48.5°C (2005-2020)
Desert sand now in Mathura and Agra
Jaipur's Water Crisis
Bisalpur Dam + groundwater: Both Aravalli-dependent
Mining destroys fracture rock fissures that recharge aquifers
"No Aravalli, No Water"
The Aravallis are a life-support system for 100+ million people
Their complete destruction would fundamentally alter regional climate, water availability, and human habitability within a generation.
The Numbers Battle: Don't Be Fooled
Government claims vs. ground reality
Government Says
Current Mining Footprint
Only 277 sq km of Aravallis currently under valid mining leases
Total Area (Denominator)
Uses entire landscape including non-hilly districts to calculate percentage
100-Meter Rule
Claims the definition provides "objective, transparent criteria"
Mining Ban Announced
No new mining leases in Aravallis—sounds protective
Reality Check
Future Risk, Not Current Mining
11,033 hills lost protection—0.19% is CURRENT, doesn't show POTENTIAL mining once hills deregulated
Illegal Mining Cases
The 0.19% ignores rampant illegal mining that will become easier to regularize once hills lose protection
What FSI Recommended
Government's own Forest Survey of India recommended 30m height + slope gradient—politics overruled science
What "Ban" Actually Protects
Ban only covers hills >100m. The other 11,033 hills (91%) can still be mined as "revenue land"
The Real Issue
The government focuses on current mining footprint (0.19%) to downplay concerns. But the real threat is future potential: once 91.3% of hills lose protection, that tiny percentage can explode.
The question isn't "where is mining happening now?" It's "where CAN mining happen once 11,033 hills are deregulated?"
A Movement Rising to Defend the Mountains
Grassroots activism, legal intervention, and ecological restoration
Aravalli Bachao
Led by Neelam Ahluwalia
Demanding entire 700 km range declared permanent biosphere reserve
I Am Gurgaon
Founded by Latika Thukral & team
Transformed 380-acre mining quarry into Aravalli Biodiversity Park
Save Aravali Trust
Led by Jagmohan Yadav
100% volunteer-driven restoration efforts
November 2025: Supreme Court Order Sparks Nationwide Movement
The Supreme Court's acceptance of the MoEFCC's 100-meter definition triggered an unprecedented wave of protests across four states. Within days of the order, the #SaveAravalli campaign went viral, uniting urban activists, rural communities, legal experts, and youth groups in a collective defense of the mountain range.
Former Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot changed his profile picture in solidarity, viral AI-generated images showed a destroyed Aravalli landscape, and physical protests erupted from Gurugram to Udaipur—marking this as the largest environmental mobilization in Rajasthan's history.