Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education (ICFRE) will prepare a district-wise report to identify which hill areas meet the criteria to be considered part of the Aravalli Range- specifically for regulating mining activities.
This follows Supreme Court’s November 20, 2025 judgment, which directed preparation of a Management Plan for Sustainable Mining (MPSM) across the entire Aravalli landscape.
The government clarified that no new mining licences will be issued until the MPSM is completed, countering public concerns that large parts of the Aravallis were being opened for mining. The Court reiterated the ecological importance of the Aravallis– as a natural barrier against desertification, a groundwater recharge zone, and a critical biodiversity habitat.
Background- Supreme Court Directions (2024–2025)
- The Supreme Court examined recommendations of a MoEF&CC-led Committee comprising:
- Forest Secretaries of Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan, Gujarat
- Forest Survey of India, Geological Survey of India, Central Empowered Committee
- Objective: create a uniform, scientific definition of Aravalli Hills & Ranges for regulating mining.
- The Court:
- Accepted the Committee’s recommendations
- Imposed an interim moratorium on new mining leases
- Directed ICFRE to prepare a landscape-wide MPSM before allowing any fresh mining activity.
Importance of Aravalli Range
- One of India’s oldest mountain systems
- Extends from Delhi → Haryana → Rajasthan → Gujarat
- Ecological Significance:
- Prevents spread of Thar Desert desertification
- Acts as a groundwater recharge zone
- Supports biodiversity, forests, wildlife corridors
- Acts as green lungs for Delhi-NCR
The Supreme Court has called uncontrolled mining in this region a “serious threat to national ecology.”
MoEF&CC Committee- Key Findings & Uniform Criteria
Historically, only Rajasthan had a formal regulatory definition (since 2006), based on:
- Richard Murphy landform classification
- Hills = landforms rising ≥100 m above local relief
- Mining prohibited on hills + supporting slopes
All States have now agreed to adopt and strengthen this approach.
Key Improvements Recommended
- A scientific and objective method to calculate local relief
- Protection extended to ranges, not just individual hills
- Mandatory marking on Survey of India maps
- Identification of core / inviolate areas
- Clear measures for sustainable mining & prevention of illegal mining
Operational Definitions (Now Accepted by Supreme Court)
Aravalli Hills
A landform in Aravalli districts with:
- Elevation ≥100 m above local relief, and
- The entire landform within the lowest enclosing contour, including:
- hill slopes
- foothills
- associated landforms
is treated as part of the Aravalli Hill.
Aravalli Range
Two or more such hills:
- Located within 500 m proximity (measured from their lowest contour boundaries)
- The intervening landforms, slopes, valleys, hillocks are also included in the Aravalli Range.
These definitions ensure complete ecological protection of hill systems and linkages, preventing piecemeal exploitation.
Supreme Court Directions (20 November 2025): Key Orders
- Recommendations on Aravalli Hill/Range definitions — Accepted
- Mining prohibited in core/inviolate areas, except:
- Atomic minerals (First Schedule Part B)
- Critical & strategic minerals (Part D, First Schedule)
- Minerals listed in Schedule VII of MMDR Act
- MPSM to be prepared by ICFRE for:
- Mapping permissible / prohibited zones
- Assessing cumulative environmental impact
- Mandating post-mining restoration
Until MPSM is Finalised
- No new mining leases allowed
- Existing mines may operate only with strict compliance and enhanced environmental monitoring.
How Framework Protects Aravallis
- Scientific, map-verifiable boundaries
- Protection of entire hill slopes, not just peaks
- 500-m cluster-based protection of ranges
- Automatic protection of core ecological zones including:
- Protected Areas, Tiger Reserves
- Eco-Sensitive Zones
- Wetlands
- CAMPA plantation areas
- Landscape-level conservation approach
- Prevents:
- Desertification
- Groundwater loss
- Fragmentation of wildlife corridors
- Ecological degradation of NCR region
Regulation & Safeguards- Mining vs Protection
Mining Regulation Measures
- No new general-mineral leases in mapped Aravalli zones
- Exception only for critical/strategic minerals
- Existing leases:
- Multi-department inspections
- Compliance with EC/CTO, Forest Clearance
- Continuous monitoring by SPCB & MoEF&CC ROs
- Violations may trigger suspension/closure
Absolute Prohibition Zones
- Protected Areas & corridors
- Eco-Sensitive Zones / ESAs
- 1-km buffer around PA boundaries (default)
- Wetlands & Ramsar-linked zones
- CAMPA & conservation plantation areas
Sustainable Mining Safeguards
- Compensatory afforestation & wildlife plans
- Cumulative-impact-based EIAs
- Groundwater protection & NOCs in dark zones
- Heritage protection near ASI monuments
Illegal Mining Prevention
- Drone & CCTV monitoring, trench barriers
- E-challan tracking & weighbridge integration
- District-level enforcement task forces
- Rapid closure of illegal pits
About ICFRE (Implementing Body)
- Apex forestry research institution in India
- Autonomous body under MoEF&CC
- Headquarters- Dehradun
- Mission- Research & capacity-building for:
- Ecological security
- Sustainable forest management
- Livelihood enhancement
Historical Evolution
- 1878- Forest School, Dehradun
- 1906- Imperial Forest Research Institute established
- 1986- ICFRE created as umbrella organisation
- 1991- Became an autonomous council
ICFRE Network
- 9 Regional Research Institutes– Jodhpur, Dehradun, Shimla, Hyderabad, Coimbatore, Ranchi, Bengaluru, Jorhat, Jabalpur
- 5 Centres– Agartala, Aizawl, Allahabad, Chhindwara, Visakhapatnam