The gradual destruction of the Aravalli hills could allow the Thar Desert to advance towards Delhi and the National Capital Region, triggering severe climate, health, and environmental consequences, according to environmental scientist Professor Laxmi Kant Sharma of the Central University of Rajasthan.
Speaking amid growing concern over a recent Supreme Court decision on mining in the Aravalli range, Sharma warned that weakening this ancient natural barrier could permanently alter north India’s climate and air quality.
Supreme Court ruling raises alarm among conservationists
The Supreme Court recently accepted an elevation-based definition proposed by the Union environment ministry, under which only landforms above 100 metres would be classified as part of the Aravalli hills. The court also directed the Centre to conduct scientific mapping of the range and prepare a sustainable mining plan before granting new mining leases.
While the order appears protective at first glance, conservation experts argue that it places nearly 90 percent of the Aravalli range at risk. In Rajasthan, where most of the hills measure between 30 and 80 metres, large stretches may no longer receive legal protection.
Most of the Aravalli range falls below the 100-metre limit
Professor Sharma pointed out that the new definition effectively excludes vast portions of the Aravallis. He explained that in Rajasthan alone, nearly 80 to 90 percent of the hills fall below the 100-metre threshold, making them vulnerable to mining and land conversion.
He warned that miners are already flattening hills that slightly exceed 100 metres so they can legally exploit them later. According to him, this practice is accelerating the disappearance of one of the world’s oldest mountain systems.
Why the Aravalli hills are ecologically critical
The Aravalli range stretches from Delhi through Rajasthan to Gujarat and plays a crucial role in regulating climate, groundwater, and biodiversity. The hills act as a natural wall that blocks desert dust from western India and shapes monsoon patterns across northern regions.
Sharma explained that the highest peak, Guru Shikhar in Mount Abu, rises to 1,727 metres, but most of the range is low-lying and fragile. Despite this, these smaller hills are equally vital for ecological balance.
According to Sharma, three powerful lobbies are responsible for the steady degradation of the Aravallis. In the Delhi National Capital Region, real estate interests are flattening hills to construct high-value housing projects. In Rajasthan, mining operations continue despite long-standing restrictions, while in southern stretches, tourism-related development is damaging the landscape.
He said illegal mining has never truly stopped and continues openly in many areas, often with the support of political and administrative networks.
Green wall project unlikely to save the Aravallis
The government’s green wall project, launched in 2023 to combat desertification through large-scale plantation, has also drawn criticism. Sharma argued that planting trees cannot replace a natural geological barrier that has existed for billions of years.
He questioned where water for these plantations would come from and warned that artificial plantations cannot conserve the unique biodiversity and genetic species found in the Aravalli ecosystem.
Desert expansion and changing climate patterns
Sharma warned that the footprint of the Thar Desert is already expanding towards the National Capital Region. He said his research shows desert conditions moving into northern areas, with greenery surviving only where intensive plantation has taken place.
He added that dismantling the Aravalli barrier would permanently alter monsoon behaviour, intensify dust storms, and worsen air pollution in Delhi.
Health crisis looming for future generations
Drawing a stark picture of the future, Sharma predicted that air quality in Delhi could deteriorate to the point where people may need oxygen support to breathe. He linked rising industrial lung diseases and silicosis cases in mining regions directly to unregulated extraction in the Aravallis.
He cited villages in Rajasthan where mining-related illnesses are widespread and warned that similar health impacts could spread to urban centres.
Sharma called for the creation of an Aravalli Development Authority involving experts and senior officials from Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan, and Gujarat. He stressed the need for LiDAR and drone-based surveys to accurately map the height and boundaries of the hills.
Without scientific demarcation and strict enforcement, he said, illegal mining would continue unchecked and the Aravallis would eventually be reduced to a flat plateau.
Concluding his warning, Sharma said the Aravalli hills have protected north India for centuries, but that protection is rapidly weakening. He expressed little optimism about reversing the damage, stating that in many places the hills have already vanished.
“If the Aravallis fall,” he said, “the desert will not stop at Rajasthan. It will move towards Delhi.”