‘Lifeline', 'Natural shield for NCR': Oppn ramps up criticism on Supreme Court Aravalli order

AFter the recent sublime margaret court dictate revising the definition of Aravalli hills, that could grant vast stretch along of lands for commercial activities and mining, the opposition has intensified against the ruling, with activists and environmentalists rallying against the move.Several opposition parties, including the Congress and Samajwadi Party, have also joined the opposition of the Supreme Court ruling. Opposition leaders have warned of serious ecological damage, while the BJP has dismissed the criticism as misleading.The new elevation-based definition of what constitutes the Aravalli hills could allow mining in areas below 100 metres, proving detrimental to the ecological balance of one of the world's oldest mountain ranges. The move comes after the top court on November 20 cleared the recommendations of a committee under the Union Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change.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".Activists pointed out that the Aravalli mountain range acts as a natural protective shield for the Delhi-NCR region, playing a crucial role in preventing pollution, desertification, and water crises.Also Read | Why has the new definition of the Aravalli hills triggered a protest? What activists sayAkhilesh Yadav on Aravalli's new definitionIn a post on X, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav said protecting the Aravallis was inseparable from Delhi’s survival, describing the range as a natural shield for the Delhi-NCR region.“If the Aravalli survives, Delhi will remain lush and green! Saving the Aravalli is not an option but a resolve,” he wrote, warning that continued degradation would worsen air pollution, biodiversity loss and extreme temperatures in the capital.“Saving the Aravalli means saving Delhi's future; otherwise, Delhi's residents, who are already struggling to take every breath, will never escape the deadly conditions of smog. Today, pollution is having its worst and most dangerous impact on the elderly, the sick, and children in the NCR. Even the world-famous hospitals and medical services sector here have been severely affected, people who used to come to Delhi to get treated for illnesses are no longer coming, lest they fall ill again,” he said.Yadav further cautioned that unchecked environmental damage could erode Delhi’s economic importance, urging citizens to join a “Save Aravalli” campaign.Protests erupt in several areasEnvironmental activists on Saturday staged protests in Haryana’s Gurugram and Rajasthan’s Udaipur against the new elevation-based definition of the Aravalli hills, warning that the change could harm the ecological balance of one of the country’s oldest mountain ranges.The protesters carried banners and placards and raised slogans such as “Save Aravalli, Save the Future” and “No Aravalli, No Life”.They said the Supreme Court order endorsing the revised definition had heightened their concerns over the future of the Aravalli range.Criticism in RajasthanThe opposition also raised sharp criticism in Rajasthan.Leader of the Opposition in the Rajasthan Assembly and Congress leader Tika Ram Jully said the Centre’s move to redefine the Aravalli range could trigger large-scale ecological damage and desertification.“The Aravali is the lifeline of Rajasthan. It is the Aravali that stops the desert… Scientists have also acknowledged that if there were no Aravali mountain range, the entire area up to Delhi would have turned into a desert,” he said.Jully accused the government of double standards, saying, “On one hand, you are running a campaign called ‘Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam’ while on the other, you are cutting down lakhs of trees for your friends. This is wrong.”He added that opening hills below 100 metres to mining could expose most of the range to irreversible damage.Ashok Gehlot attacks, BJP hits backFormer Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot changed his social media profile picture to support the #SaveAravalli campaign, and urged reconsideration of the revised definition.Responding to the criticism, senior BJP leader Rajendra Rathore accused former Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot of misleading the public.“Regarding the Aravalli issue, Ashok Gehlot is misleading people in the name of expressing concern about the Supreme Court’s decision. The government is already committed to protecting the Aravalli range,” Rathore said."The basis of this decision, as the Supreme Court noted in its ruling, is the 2002 definition of the Aravalli range, approved by Ashok Gehlot's cabinet based on the 1968 land reforms. During Gehlot's own tenure, he issued more than 700 tenders... I believe that when the truth comes out, everything will become clear," he further added.