The Hon’ble Supreme Court of India delivered its judgement on 20 November 2025 in the matter of T.N. Godavarman Thirumulpad v. Union of India and Others. In this judgement, the Court elaborated the definition of ‘Aravali Hills’ and ‘Aravali Ranges’, emphasised the importance of conserving these ecological areas and provided specific guidelines for doing so in the states of Delhi, Haryana, Gujarat and Rajasthan. The Aravali Range is one of the oldest geological formations on Earth, as well as one of the oldest fold mountains in India, with a wide variety of wildlife, flora and fauna. The Aravali Range significantly impacts climate and biodiversity throughout northern India. Scientific studies have shown that the Aravali ecosystem is a ‘green barrier’ and ‘defensive shield’ against desertification and from allowing the eastern movement of the Thar Desert into the Indo-Gangetic Plains, Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh.
India ratified the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification on December 17, 1996. The Convention requires that India take action to strengthen current laws, create new ones where necessary, and to develop and implement long-term policy measures and programmes to combat desertification, with emphasis on preventive measures for those lands which are not degraded or only slightly degraded or degraded. To fulfill these commitments, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change launched a National Action Plan on Combating Desertification and Land Degrading in Forestry Interventions (National Action Plan) in 2023 highlighting the need for the synergistic implementation of eco-restoration initiatives. The Ministry launched an “Aravali Green Wall Project” to restore degraded lands, combat desertification, increase green cover and improve the ecological health of the Aravali landscape. The obligations impose a uniform approach to the preservation and restoration of the Aravali Eco-system, including regulation of the exploitation of the Aravali Hills in a scientific and sustainable manner based on the precautionary principle.
The court found that one of the biggest problems with illegal mining was that there are different definitions of what constitutes “Aravalli Hills/Ranges.” As a result, the court needed to determine whether any of the mining activity took place within the boundaries of the Aravallis, or whether they were located outside of those boundaries. In addition, the court had to determine whether or not the distinction between the Aravallis and the Aravalli Ranges should ultimately be established.
According to the Central Empowered Committee, their recommended definition of what constitutes the Aravalli Hills and Ranges should be established based on location and height criteria. In addition, they recommended that the whole Aravalli Range be mapped, along with a macro-level environmental impact assessment of mining affected districts. However, the Amicus disagreed with this definition stating that using this recommended definition would open up the area for mining below the elevation of 100 metres, consequently destroying the continuity and integrity of the Aravalli Hills and Ranges, thereby posing a severe threat to the Aravalli Mountains’ ecological environment.
Judgement on November 20th, 2025 by the Chief Justice of India, Justice B.R. Gavai and his bench. The issue at stake was illegal mining due to the lack of an enforceable definition of “Aravalli Hills.” The Court adopted the MoEF&CC definition of Aravali Hills and Ranges, which is: an Aravali Hill is any conditional landform/elevation of any Aravali district reaching a height of 100m or greater from local relief and consists of the total area of the landform within the lowest boundary contour, plus its supporting slopes and other related features regardless of their gradient, plus a uniform buffer zone of 100 meters wide surrounding the downhill side of the hill. A Ranges consists of at least two Hills that are located within a 500-meter distance from each other along with the area of intersection of the supporting buffer zones of those Hills and their supporting hillocks and slopes.
CEC’s recommendations regarding prohibiting mining in all Core/Inviolate Areas (with specific exceptions), recommending Sustainable Mining Practices, and establishing measures to deal with Illegal Mining were accepted by the Court. The Court directed the MoEF&CC to develop a Comprehensive Master Plan for Sustainable Mining (MPSM) through ICFRE from Gujarat to Delhi along the entire length of the Aravalis. This will include identifying areas that are permissible for mining and ecologically sensitive and assessing the cumulative impact of mining operations on the carrying capacity of the landscape as well as the related post-mining restoration measures. While the MPSM is being developed no further mining leases will be granted and only existing operational mines may operate under the strict controls established by the CEC recommendation in paragraph 8 of its Report. Future mining activities must take place in those areas that are identified as being sustainable for mining under the MPSM.
This judgment is pronounced with the intention of ensuring a uniform and streamlined approach towards preservation and restoration of Aravali ecosystem.