Activists oppose narrow Aravalli definition at Gurugram gathering

Placards reading “No defining away our ecosystems” framed the event, reflecting public unease over recent legal and policy developments affecting the range.

Residents from across the National Capital Region (NCR) gathered at Suncity Forest in Sector 2on Sunday to underline the urgency of protecting the Aravallis and its consequences on air, water and public health.

The event featured poetry recitation, role-play and discussions on the ecological “deterioration” of the Aravalli range. (HT PHOTO)

Organised by the Aravalli Bachao Citizens Movement, the “Sunday Baithak” saw participation from at least 50 environmental activists, parents, senior citizens and children. The event featured poetry recitation, role-play and discussions on the ecological “deterioration” of the Aravalli range. Placards reading “No defining away our ecosystems” framed the event, reflecting public unease over recent legal and policy developments affecting the range.

Participants also discussed the recent Supreme Court orders on the definition of the Aravalli Hills, including the November 20, 2025, ruling that accepted a Union environment ministry panel’s recommendation defining Aravallis as landforms rising 100 metres or more above local relief, followed by a December 29 order that put the earlier decision in abeyance.

Activists warned that narrowing legal definitions could leave vast forest tracts vulnerable to mining and construction. “These developments can have severe environmental ramifications. Citizens are demanding comprehensive restoration of the entire Aravalli landscape, not fragmented definitions or mining plans,” said Shivani Yaduvanshi, a volunteer with the movement.

Environmental advocate Azad Pankaj echoed similar concerns, stressing that policy decisions were being taken without understanding ground realities. “You cannot redraw nature through files and notifications. Every hectare lost weakens the region’s ability to breathe, absorb heat and recharge groundwater. The cost will be paid by ordinary citizens,” he said.

Several speakers highlighted the link between forest loss, rising air pollution and public health. Participants cited repeated episodes of hazardous air quality index (AQI) levels in NCR, warning that continued degradation would push the region towards a permanent health emergency.

The Aravalli range spans about 76,000 sq km across north-western India and includes a 35,000 sq km catchment protected under the 2016 Ganga Protection Order. Environmentalists stressed that continued degradation threatens regional climate stability and water availability.

The baithak concluded with a collective reading of citizens’ demands, including an immediate halt to mining and construction in the Aravalli biosphere, closure of polluting coal-based power plants, a ban on waste-to-energy facilities, and long-term measures to curb private vehicle use by strengthening public transport.