00:00The Aravalli Hills, one of the oldest mountain ranges in the world, have long served as a
00:12natural shield against desertification for multiple states across their nearly 700-kilometer-long
00:19span, including the Delhi-NCR region. The hills block sand and dust from the Thar Desert,
00:27while also aiding groundwater recharge and sustaining rich biodiversity. However,
00:33environmentalists warn that a recent ruling by the Supreme Court could significantly impact
00:39these ecologically vital hills.
00:42This new definition that talks about that Aravalli Hills, only more than 100 meters, will be
00:48actually called Aravalli Hills and the rest is actually open for mining initially and eventually
00:53of course for real estate and other developmental activities, which primarily would mean that 90%
00:58of Aravallis will completely disappear or will be ready or will be okay to be so-called developed
01:03in that sense. That means that you're further exposing this entire region, not just Delhi,
01:08but the entire region into further contamination or pollution. So given the backdrop of air pollution,
01:17this entire move when the Supreme Court on one hand was talking about taking long-term measures,
01:22rather than actually looking at protecting those natural safeguards that this region has,
01:27we're actually exploiting it further.
01:30In its November 2025 order, the Supreme Court accepted the government's new definition for
01:36the Aravallis, which states that only landforms rising 100 meters or more above local ground level,
01:44along with their slopes and adjacent land, will be officially recognized as part of the range.
01:50I think it's very unfortunate that the Supreme Court actually accepted the new definition that's
01:55been given by the government. We're talking about Aravalli Hills, which is one of the oldest
01:58mountain ranges that we actually have on this planet. And in many, many ways, it's one of the main
02:04barriers, dust barriers that Delhi has or North India has as in something that actually separates
02:08Thar from this part of the country. And, you know, this entire 670 kilometer length of Aravalli is the
02:16one. And it's not just a dust barrier in that sense. We're also talking about water recharge.
02:20We are also talking about greenery, you know, the groundwater table, many things.
02:24And so it's in many, many ways, it's an ecological treasure.
02:28Environmentalists say this redefinition could strip protection from nearly 90 percent of the
02:33Aravalli range, weakening Delhi's natural shield against dust and pollution, impacting groundwater
02:40water recharge and damaging biodiversity corridors.
02:44We are not really trying to address the fundamental aspects of the windblown dust, which is swamping
02:51the city and the region. And in that, the role of the Aravallis and the forest and the greenbelt
02:58becomes so critical because that barrier is absolutely essential to protect the air quality,
03:07not only as a barrier against the dust from desert, but the green and the, that the whole
03:13dense forest cover is also essential for pretty efficient trapping of pollution and also to
03:20clean up the toxic and to mop up the toxic emissions from the air.
03:25While the Supreme Court's acceptance of the 100 meter guideline is intended to support a more
03:30regulated framework for sustainable mining, experts fear it may unintentionally expose significant
03:38parts of the Aravalli range to increased mining and construction pressure.
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