Environmental Activist Seeks Review of Supreme Court’s 100-Metre Definition of Aravalli Hills

 Lawyer and environmental activist Hitendra Gandhi has urged the Chief Justice of India to reconsider the Supreme Court’s recent decision defining the Aravalli range based on a 100-metre height criterion, a move that has triggered widespread concern among environmentalists.

In a detailed letter addressed to the Chief Justice and also forwarded to the President of India, Gandhi warned that relying solely on a narrow, height-based definition of the Aravallis could unintentionally dilute environmental safeguards across north-western India.

Referring to the Supreme Court’s November 20 order, Gandhi acknowledged it as an important and progressive step in recognising the Aravalli system as a vital ecological barrier. However, he expressed reservations about the operational definition adopted in the ruling, which identifies Aravalli hills and ranges primarily as landforms rising 100 metres or more above the surrounding terrain.

According to Gandhi, such a rigid numerical threshold risks excluding extensive portions of the Aravalli landscape that, while not meeting the specified height requirement, continue to play a crucial ecological role. He cautioned that these areas are integral to the region’s environmental balance and their exclusion could weaken long-term conservation efforts.

The issue has sparked a wave of protests and renewed debate, with environmental advocates calling for a broader, science-based interpretation of the Aravalli system to ensure comprehensive protection of one of India’s oldest and most fragile mountain ranges.