New Delhi: Fresh concern has emerged over the future of the Aravalli range following repeated attempts by governments and corporate interests to dilute protections for one of north India’s oldest mountain systems. A large stretch of the Aravallis lies in Haryana, where successive administrations have pushed plans to reclassify forest land for commercial use.
Activists and court orders have blocked several such efforts over the years. Without those interventions, high rise projects would already dominate areas stretching from Delhi to Faridabad and Gurugram. Regardless of political leadership, proposals have aimed to remove the Aravallis from forest land definitions.
In 2017, the Haryana government sought to exclude 17,000 acres in Faridabad from forest status. The NCR Planning Board rejected the proposal and reaffirmed existing Environment Ministry notifications. Recent controversy has followed the Supreme Court accepting a revised definition from the Centre. Under it, only hills rising 100 metres above local terrain qualify as Aravalli hills. Environmental groups fear mining across almost 90 percent of the area. The Centre has denied such intent.
Past decisions highlight the risks. In 2004, the DRDO began acquiring Aravalli land for a facility in Faridabad. Despite warnings from forest authorities and pending clearance, payments were made and possession taken. A Supreme Court panel later blocked construction and the CAG criticised the move.
Similar concerns arose in Mangar village, where plans for a technology park and later a large development zone faced resistance due to ecological impact. The Supreme Court also stayed a 2019 Haryana amendment which aimed to open nearly 60,000 acres for real estate and mining.
