Aravalli Storm: SC Ruling Sparks Protests, Mining Fears Rise Across North India

The Aravalli, one of the world’s oldest mountain ranges, is now at the centre of a growing ecological and political storm. A new Supreme Court definition has removed protection from nearly 90% of the hills, triggering protests from Gurugram to Jaipur. Under revised norms, only hills taller than 100 metres and clustered closely qualify for protection, raising fears of unchecked mining. Activists, lawyers and citizens have taken to the streets in Alwar, Udaipur and Gurugram, calling it an attack on India’s ecological lifeline. The government rejects the charges, but the battle to save the Aravallis is intensifying.