Ongoing proceedings before the Supreme Court of India
How India's oldest mountain range has become the site of one of the country's most consequential environmental law battles, and why its outcome will shape climate and conservation governance for decades.
The Aravalli Mountain Range is an approximately 670 km long mountain range starting from Delhi, passing through southern Haryana and Rajasthan, and ending in Gujarat. It is the oldest fold mountain range in the world, dating back over 2.5 billion years. Guru Shikhar (1,722 metres), located in the Arbuda Mountains near Mount Abu, is the highest peak.
The range is one of India's oldest mineral belts, containing significant deposits of copper, lead, zinc, and marble. The Khetri region features evidence of copper mining dating back to ancient times.
Widely recognised as the "Green Lungs of North India," the Aravallis perform several critical ecological functions. They act as a natural barrier against the expansion of the Thar Desert into north-western India. Situated in a semi-arid region receiving 500 to 700 mm of rainfall annually, the range functions as a major watershed, with rivers from its western slopes draining into the Arabian Sea and those from the east draining into the Yamuna system. The hills allow rainwater to recharge crucial groundwater levels.
The Aravalli region supports dry deciduous forests, grasslands, and wetlands, and features a unique mix of Saharan, Peninsular, and Oriental wildlife. The area includes 22 wildlife sanctuaries and three tiger reserves, providing habitat for endangered species including tigers, leopards, Indian wolves, sloth bears, and the Great Indian Bustard.
Illegal and unregulated mining, rapid urbanisation, and the loss of green cover have together weakened the range. Unregulated extraction of copper, zinc, marble, and stone has caused direct damage to hills and land degradation across Rajasthan, Haryana, and Gujarat. Urban expansion has fragmented the hill system, destroyed wildlife corridors, and accelerated desertification. Degradation of the range directly reduces its groundwater recharge capacity, leading to declining water tables and water stress in surrounding regions.
Judicial Interventions
The Court has frozen the issuance of new leases and placed a complete stay on existing licensed mining activities until the matter is fully resolved.
Critics have raised concerns about how independent the committee is, given that it comprises serving and retired government officials rather than independent experts.
The Centre and mining associations warn that prolonged freezes affect millions of dependent labourers. Conservationists warn that any dilution can lead to irreversible ecological damage.
Urban construction and infrastructure development continue to press on the Aravallis even as mining itself is frozen.
The ongoing legal battle over the Aravalli range centres on a vital conflict between economic livelihoods and ecological preservation. The Supreme Court has maintained a strict freeze on all mining activities to prevent irreversible environmental damage while a High-Powered Expert Committee prepares its definitive scientific report, due by 31 August 2026.
The comprehensive review, mandated to incorporate public and stakeholder feedback, sets up a momentous decision at the hearing on 7 September 2026. That hearing will permanently shape the environmental and economic future of a region that is, quite literally, one of the oldest places on earth.