Aravallis Protect the Gangetic Plains from Dust — But the Shield Is Weakening

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Indian Express | Editorial | June 1, 2026

The Aravalli range buffers the IGP from Thar desert dust, but illegal mining has created 31 vanished hillocks and 12 widening gaps. The range needs legal protection as climate-resilience infrastructure, not just a biodiversity zone.

The Argument in One Line

The Aravallis are climate infrastructure — and the institutional response (fragmented SC orders across four states) is not proportionate to the scale of loss.

The Ecological Service

• Dust barrier: Thar desert aerosols (PM10/PM2.5) now penetrate the IGP through mining-created gaps, intensifying pre-monsoon dust storms.
• Watershed recharge: aquifers across Rajasthan, Haryana, Delhi depend on Aravalli hillocks.
• Wildlife corridor: Delhi Ridge ↔ Sariska TR.

The Governance Gap

Four states, multiple SC orders, no single Aravalli authority → fragmented, inconsistent enforcement.

Way Forward

• Aravalli Range Authority — multi-state jurisdiction, like river basin authorities.
• Eco-Sensitive Zone notifications for the entire range.
• Satellite monitoring of mining (ISRO + MoEFCC).
• Alternative livelihoods for quarry workers.

UPSC Relevance

Paper	Relevance
GS1	Aravalli geography; IGP; Pre-Cambrian geology
GS3	Ecosystem services; mining regulation; climate resilience
Prelims	Guru Shikhar (1,722 m); WII study; 31 hillocks; 4 states; eco-sensitive zones

Sources: Indian Express, Wildlife Institute of India

Source: Aravallis Protect the Gangetic Plains from Dust — But the Shield Is Weakening — Ujiyari.com | Free UPSC & State PCS Editorial Analysis

Key Arguments at a Glance

The Aravalli range has historically buffered the Indo-Gangetic plains from northwest desert dust storms, but encroachment, mining and deforestation have critically degraded this ecological barrier, and the range needs immediate legal protection as a climate-resilience infrastructure asset, not merely a biodiversity zone.

✓ Supporting

• A WII study documented 31 hillocks lost to illegal mining and 12 widening gaps through which Thar desert dust now penetrates unimpeded — directly linked to intensifying pre-monsoon dust storms in Rajasthan, Haryana and the NCR.
• The Aravallis provide services beyond dust-buffering: watershed recharge for river systems and aquifers, wildlife corridors (Delhi Ridge to Sariska), and a biodiversity repository for arid-zone species.
• Enforcement is fragmented across four states and multiple SC orders restricting mining have not been uniformly implemented, pointing to an institutional gap — no dedicated Aravalli protection authority exists.

⚠ Counter

Some argue the economic cost of a strict Aravalli protection regime falls on local quarry workers and stone-based industries, and that calibrated, regulated mining (not a blanket ban) can be reconciled with ecological safeguards.

→ Way Forward

Create a dedicated Aravalli Range Authority (analogous to river basin/national park authorities) with jurisdiction across all four states; eco-sensitive zone notifications for the entire range; SC-monitored satellite-based mining surveillance; and alternative livelihood support for displaced quarry workers.