Daijiworld Media Network – New Delhi

New Delhi, Dec 20: A recent Supreme Court decision redefining the Aravalli mountain range has triggered a widespread #SaveAravalli social media campaign and raised fresh political, environmental and governance concerns across northern India.

Under the new criteria, only hills at least 100 metres above local relief or clusters of such hills within 500 metres will now be designated as part of the Aravalli range — a move that critics warn could strip large swathes of the ancient ecosystem of legal safeguards and open the way for intensified mining, construction and deforestation.

Environmental experts and activists have labelled the ruling a “death warrant” for the region, pointing to the Aravalli’s crucial role in regulating Delhi-area climate, preventing desertification, preserving groundwater and maintaining biodiversity. Concerned citizens took to platforms like X and Instagram to mobilise support for legal and policy measures to restore stronger protections, emphasising the interconnected threats of poor air quality and water scarcity in the Indo-Gangetic plains.

Several political leaders, including former Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, publicly expressed solidarity with the campaign, with Gehlot even changing his social media profile in support of preserving the Aravallis. Critics argue the new definition could enable authorities and developers to circumvent environmental laws, potentially accelerating unregulated land use that endangers local communities and ecology.

The controversy comes as environmental governance remains in sharp focus nationally, with calls for clearer statutory safeguards and renewed policy attention to protect critical natural buffers in the face of rapid urban expansion and climate pressures.