The Supreme Court recently accepted the Union environment ministry's elevation-based definition of the Aravalli hills -- counting only landforms above 100 metres, and opening up the rest, almost 90 percent of the range, to mining -- and instructed the Centre to carry out a scientific mapping of the range before allowing any new mining leases.
In Rajasthan alone, where most of the range lies between 30 and 80 metres, could this new definition mean that large portions of one of the world's oldest mountain systems may become sacrifice to the mining lobby since they won't be recognised as hills?
Professor Laxmi Kant Sharma, Central University of Rajasthan, Environment Science, in an interview to Syed Firdaus Ashraf/Rediff, explains how the debate over a single number -- 100 metres -- may determine the future of an entire ecological shield.
In some places the Aravalli hills has just disappeared, like in Naraina, Rajasthan. Another place is Chhoti Khatu in Nagaur where Aravalli has disappeared. Mining goes on in the daytime.
There is a village near Bhilwara where the entire village is suffering from lung disease, silicosis. I have made a documentary on this subject as the entire village population is busy breaking stones of the Aravalli hills.
https://www.rediff.com/news/interview/thar-desert-will-reach-delhi-soon/20251211.htm
15/12/2025