The Aravalli debate: Is it impossible to protect fragile ecosystems in India?

In Focus by The Hindu · Jan 2, 2026 · 32m

The Aravallis are the green lungs of northern India. They are a defensive wall that protects the fertile Indo-Gangetic plains from desertification – from an eastward expansion of the Thar desert.

But over the years, commercial exploitation has put this fragile ecosystem under immense strain. On November 20th, the Supreme Court ruled that only Aravalli hills above 100 metres tall would enjoy environmental protection. This created a major public outcry, with people pointing out that in Rajasthan’s Aravallis alone, barely 1,048 hills out of 12,081, would qualify. In other words, most of the…