Supreme Court Aravalli mining ruling sparks alarm across Mewat, nearly 100 villages fear impact

Activists say hillocks below 100 metres in Haryana and Rajasthan face mining, threatening groundwater, forests and heritage sites.

A recent Supreme Court ruling permitting mining activity in Aravalli hill areas below 100 metres has triggered widespread concern across the Mewat region, with residents and activists warning that the decision could threaten the survival of more than 40 villages in Haryana’s Nuh district and dozens more in neighbouring Rajasthan.

Memoranda seeking review were sent to the President, PM, governors and courts, warning of damage across six districts. (HT Archive)

Residents allege that the ruling opens up ecologically sensitive Aravalli tracts to mining and commercial exploitation, posing risks to forests, groundwater sources and human settlements. In response, the Mewat RTI Manch has submitted memoranda through the Naib Tehsildar of Nagina to the President of India, the Prime Minister of India, the Union home minister, state governors, the High Court and the Supreme Court, seeking an urgent review of the decision.

Activists said the impact of the ruling extends well beyond Nuh district. More than 40 villages in Haryana and nearly 60 villages in Rajasthan’s Tijara, Khairthal, Kishangarh Bas, Alwar, Jurehra, Nagar, Pahari, Gopalgarh and Kaman regions are likely to be affected. In total, residents estimate that close to 100 villages spread across six districts in the Mewat belt of Haryana and Rajasthan could face serious environmental and livelihood threats if mining operations begin.

Subodh Kumar Jain, president of the Mewat RTI Manch, said several villages in Nagina sub-tehsil have Aravalli hillocks measuring less than 100 metres in height, bringing them directly under the ambit of the ruling. These include Santhawadi, Nangal Mubarikpur, Jhimrawat, Bara, Bajidpur, Dhadoli Kalan, Dhadoli Khurd and Khanpur Ghati. “If mining is permitted here, not only will villages be endangered, but historic temples, mosques, dargahs and forts could also be destroyed,” Jain said.

Environmental expert Rajuddin Jang urged the Supreme Court to reconsider the decision, stressing that the Aravallis serve as a natural shield for North India. “Stretching nearly 800 km from Gujarat through Rajasthan, Haryana and Delhi, the Aravalli range blocks desert dust from reaching the NCR, recharges groundwater and helps regulate temperature. Weakening it will have irreversible consequences for future generations,” he said.

Jang also raised concerns that the ruling grants greater discretion to state governments and local administrations to determine land character, increasing the risk of misuse and unchecked exploitation.

Naseem, vice-president of the Mewat RTI Manch and sarpanch of Santhawadi village, said the ruling dilutes decades of legal protection afforded to the Aravallis. “If the Aravallis are compromised, groundwater levels will fall further, temperatures will rise and pollution will worsen. For the people of Mewat, this is not just a legal issue—it is a question of survival,” he said.

Locals also said the memoranda call for immediate intervention to protect the Aravallis, warning that environmental degradation would disproportionately impact districts already grappling with water scarcity, poverty and climate stress.

There has been no official response so far from the Union government or the state governments of Haryana and Rajasthan on the matter.