When governments wavered and definitions shifted, the Supreme Court saved Aravalis, ensuring India’s oldest mountain range survived largely because courts and the Prime Minister’s Office refused to look away.
The Aravalli range—stretching across Gujarat, Rajasthan, Haryana and Delhi—is not just a geographical feature. Beginning in 2002, when the Supreme Court first stepped in to curb rampant mining and ecological destruction, It is a natural shield against desertification, a groundwater recharge zone, and a climate barrier protecting north India from turning arid.
Yet for over two decades, the Supreme Court saved Aravalis from relentless pressure from mining lobbies, real estate expansion and policy dilution. What has stood between survival and destruction is a rare institutional alignment: sustained judicial vigilance by the Supreme Court and timely interventions by the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO).
How the Supreme Court Protected the Aravalis for Two Decades
The Supreme Court’s role in safeguarding the Aravallis began in the early 2000s, when unregulated mining and construction were rapidly hollowing out the hills, especially in Haryana and Rajasthan. Recognising the ecological danger, the court stepped in repeatedly to fill policy and enforcement gaps.
In 2002, the Supreme Court imposed a ban on mining and groundwater extraction within five kilometres of Delhi’s border, citing irreversible environmental damage. This order marked the beginning of judicial supervision over Aravalli conservation.
Over the years, the court: Supreme Court, saved Aravalis
- Halted illegal mining operations across large stretches of Haryana and Rajasthan.
- Prevented state governments from reclassifying forest and hill land to enable construction.
- Blocked dilution of the Natural Conservation Zone (NCZ) under the National Capital Region (NCR) plans, which cover ecologically sensitive Aravalli areas.
For nearly 20 years, these orders functioned as a protective wall, often compensating for weak political will and poor enforcement on the ground.
Why the Aravallis Matter More Than We Admit
The Aravalli range is one of the oldest mountain systems in the world, older than the Himalayas. Ecologically, its role is critical:
- It acts as a barrier against the Thar Desert, slowing desertification toward Delhi and the Indo-Gangetic plains.
- It supports groundwater recharge, especially in water-stressed regions of Haryana and Rajasthan.
- It moderates temperature extremes and improves air quality in the NCR.
Environmental studies have repeatedly warned that weakening Aravalli protections could worsen heatwaves, water scarcity and air pollution across north India.
The PMO’s Two Crucial Interventions: Supreme Court saved Aravalis
While the judiciary carried the long-term burden, the Prime Minister’s Office intervened twice at critical moments, when policy changes threatened to undo years of conservation.
First PMO Intervention: 2014
In April 2014, during the final months of the UPA government, proposals emerged to relax construction limits in the NCZ-Aravalli areas under the NCR planning framework. The PMO stepped in, directing the NCR Planning Board to respect environmental objections raised by the environment ministry and retain strict limits on non-forest activities.
This intervention prevented large-scale legal construction in zones meant strictly for conservation.
Second PMO Intervention: 2022
A second flashpoint came during the drafting of the Regional Plan 2041, where references to the NCZ and explicit Aravalli protections were at risk of being diluted or removed. After concerns were raised by environmental experts and civil society, the matter reached the PMO.
The PMO, along with a Group of Ministers, instructed the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs not to dilute Aravalli-related conservation clauses, effectively restoring safeguards that could have been quietly erased through planning language.
The New Controversy: Redefining the Aravallis
Despite two decades of protection, the Aravallis face a fresh challenge. A proposal to define “Aravalli hills” based on a minimum height threshold of 100 metres has triggered widespread concern. Critics argue that this technical definition could exclude vast stretches of low-lying Aravalli terrain, making them vulnerable to mining and construction.
Environmentalists warn that ecosystems do not follow height criteria—and such a definition risks protecting only hilltops while sacrificing entire landscapes.
The Supreme Court has once again taken cognisance of the issue, underscoring how fragile these protections remain without constant oversight.
A Larger Institutional Lesson: Supreme Court saved Aravalis
The Aravalli story reveals an uncomfortable truth: India’s environmental protection often survives not because of routine governance, but despite it. For 20 years, the Supreme Court acted as the primary guardian of an ecosystem. On two crucial occasions, the PMO prevented administrative dilution when planning processes failed.
This raises a deeper question—should ecological survival depend on extraordinary judicial and executive interventions, or should conservation be embedded into everyday governance?
Conclusion: Saved, But Still Not Secure
The Supreme Court saved Aravalis from surviving the past two decades because institutions stepped in when policies faltered. But survival is not the same as security. As climate risks intensify and land pressures grow, the fate of India’s oldest mountain range will depend on whether conservation shifts from courtroom orders to consistent political and administrative commitment.
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Author: Nitin mittal
CA by qualification
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