Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh has expressed serious worries about the recent redefinition of the Aravalli Hills, limiting their classification to landforms with an elevation of 100 meters or more. Ramesh addressed a letter to Union Minister for Environment, Forests, and Climate Change Bhupender Yadav, outlining four specific questions regarding this issue. He highlighted the ecological significance of even smaller hill formations in the Aravallis, emphasizing their role in preventing desertification and sandstorms.
Ramesh referenced the Forest Survey of India (FSI) report from 2010, which had been the basis for defining the Aravalli Hills in Rajasthan since 2012. He also mentioned a communication from FSI in 2025, underlining the importance of modest hills in acting as natural wind breaks. Additionally, he cited a report by the Central Empowered Committee (CEC) that identified numerous mining leases falling within the Aravalli Hills based on the previous FSI definition.
Expressing concerns about potential ecological repercussions, Ramesh questioned whether the redefinition would lead to the loss of small hillocks and compromise the geographical and ecological integrity of the Aravalli range spanning four states. The letter reiterated the Congress party’s opposition to the revised definition of the Aravalli Hills.
