No study says only 9% of Aravallis above 100 metres: forest survey of India

The Forest Survey of India has rejected claims that only 9 percent of the Aravalli hills rise above 100 metres, stating clearly that it has conducted no such study and drawn no conclusions suggesting a large-scale loss of protection for the ancient mountain range.

In a post on X, the agency said recent media reports had wrongly attributed these figures to the FSI and stressed that it has neither assessed nor endorsed any finding claiming that nearly 90 percent of the Aravallis would lose legal protection following the Supreme Court’s November 20 judgment.

The controversy emerged after the Supreme Court approved a uniform definition of the Aravallis proposed by a high-level committee under the Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change.

Under this definition, the Aravalli hills are landforms rising 100 metres or more above the surrounding terrain, including slopes and adjoining areas, while the Aravalli ranges are clusters of such hills located within 500 metres of each other. The ruling was intended to address long-standing inconsistencies across Rajasthan, Haryana, Gujarat, and Delhi, and also froze new mining leases until a Sustainable Mining Management Plan is prepared.

Following the judgment, some reports cited internal assessments allegedly linked to the FSI, suggesting that only about 1,048 of 12,081 mapped hill features in Rajasthan met the 100 metre criterion. This was interpreted as meaning roughly 9 percent of the Aravallis would remain protected, triggering protests and environmental concerns.

The FSI’s clarification aligns with the Centre’s position.

Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav has said that when entire hill systems and surrounding areas are considered, over 90 percent of the Aravalli region would fall under protection.