No Mining in Aravallis, Protection Zone to Be Expanded — The Changes Explained

No mining will be done in the Aravallis, said the central government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday, ordering a complete ban on the grant of new mining leases in the Aravallis range. The order came amid controversy over recently announced rules redefining the Aravalli hills and ranges. The government said the ban applies uniformly across the entire Aravalli range and is aimed at preserving its ecological and geological integrity. The directions are intended to protect the Aravallis as a continuous geological ridge stretching from Gujarat to the National Capital Region (NCR) and to curb all unregulated mining activities.“In a major step towards the conservation and protection of the entire Aravalli range, stretching from Delhi

to Gujarat, from illegal mining, the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) has issued directions to states to impose a complete ban on the approval of any new mining leases in the Aravallis,” the ministry said in a statement.

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Also Read | Aravalli Controversy: Why BJP Claims Congress Is Playing Politics Over Mining RulesNotably, controversy erupted over the Aravalli hills after the Supreme Court of India ratifying the new definition of the mountain range, popularly known as the “green lungs” of Delhi-NCR and other parts of northern India with critics arguing that the reclassification under the new definition could dilute long-standing legal protections, open up large stretches of the Aravalli Hills to mining and construction, and accelerate ecological damage in one of north India’s most fragile regions. The government, however, maintains that the Aravalli Hills are protected. The Aravalli Hills, one of the oldest mountain systems in the world, form a vital ecological barrier against the spread of the Thar Desert and play a critical role in groundwater recharge, climate moderation, and biodiversity preservation. Over the years, however, the range has faced extensive degradation due to illegal mining, urban encroachment, and deforestation.

The New Definition of Aravalli Hills

The Supreme Court, on November 20, 2025, accepted the recommendations of a committee under the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change on the definition of Aravalli Hills and Ranges.According to the new definition, "Aravalli Hill is any landform in designated Aravalli districts with an elevation of 100 metres or more above its local relief" and an "Aravalli Range is a collection of two or more such hills within 500 metres of each other".Accepting the new definition, Chief Justice BR Gavai had said, "The main intention behind establishing an uniform definition is to protect the Aravalli Hills and Ranges." The definition affects the conservation, land use regulation and mining activities in the Aravalli Hills in four states - Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan and Gujarat.