The Centre on Monday clarified that its newly notified definition of the Aravalli hills will apply strictly to mining activities and will not impact real estate, infrastructure or other development projects, even as environmental activists and opposition parties intensified their criticism of the move.
Union environment minister Bhupender Yadav said the definition would be used only to regulate mining operations and not for any other sector. He added that mining is permitted in just 277.89 square kilometres of the total 143,577 square kilometre Aravalli region.
The clarification came a day after the Centre notified a new definitional framework for the Aravalli hills, which has drawn strong pushback from environmental groups who fear it could open large parts of the ecologically fragile range to exploitation.
Under the new framework, landforms rising at least 100 metres above the local relief are classified as Aravalli hills. Local relief refers to the elevation difference between a hill and its surrounding base area. The definition also categorises the Aravalli range as two or more hills located within 500 metres of each other. The Supreme Court accepted this definition during a hearing on November 20.
Environmentalists and opposition leaders have alleged that the definition would effectively exclude vast stretches of the Aravallis from legal protection. The Centre, however, has countered these claims, stating that the definition applies to only 0.19 per cent of the total Aravalli area and that mining in these zones remains tightly regulated under court orders.
Yadav also reiterated that mining is completely banned in the National Capital Region, which includes Delhi, Gurugram, Faridabad and surrounding areas. The NCR spans a 100-kilometre radius around Delhi and covers more than 55,000 square kilometres.
The Aravalli hills, considered the world&rsquo;s oldest fold-mountain range, stretch nearly 700 kilometres from eastern Gujarat to Delhi, passing through Rajasthan and Haryana. The range plays a critical role in preventing desertification, recharging groundwater, and providing green cover in an otherwise arid region. It also supports a diverse ecosystem of flora and fauna.
The minister emphasised that even within the limited area where mining is technically allowed, no fresh mining leases will be granted. He cited Supreme Court directions stating that new leases are prohibited except for critical strategic and atomic minerals, ruling out any expansion of mining activities.
He further said that large portions of the Aravallis are already designated as protected areas, including four tiger reserves, 20 wildlife sanctuaries and regions covered under afforestation programmes. Mining will remain prohibited in these zones.
The Centre&rsquo;s defence comes amid growing legal and political opposition. Advocate Hitendra Gandhi has written to the Chief Justice of India, seeking a review of the definitional framework. He expressed concern that a single-threshold relief test could lead to the legal exclusion of ecologically connected Aravalli landscapes, potentially enabling mining and construction in sensitive areas.
Senior Congress leader Sachin Pilot announced that the party would stage a protest against the definition in Jaipur on December 26. He alleged that the move was intended to benefit interests linked to the mining sector and demanded a judicial probe into the origins and intent behind the decision.
Pilot also pointed out that all four states where the Aravalli range exists &mdash; Gujarat, Rajasthan, Haryana and Delhi &mdash; are currently governed by the BJP.

Definition also defines the Aravalli range as two or more hills within 500 meters of each other

Centre clarifies new Aravalli hill norms will not impact real estate or development

Aravalli Definition Only for Mining, Centre Says

Centre clarifies new Aravalli hill norms will not impact real estate or development

December 23, 2025 | 11:32 IST