New Delhi / NCR, India — In a massive display of environmental solidarity, over 80,000 people from across the country came together in recent days to support the Aravalli Bachao (Save Aravalli) movement, calling for stronger protection of the ancient Aravalli mountain range — one of India’s most ecologically important landscapes. The movement has gained fresh momentum amid legal debates over how the range should be defined and safeguarded under law. Aravalli Bachao Citizens Movement (ABCM) and allied groups, people from cities and rural areas — including environmental activists, students, professionals, and local communities — participated in rallies, discussions, and awareness events focused on stopping harmful mining, construction and ecological degradation in the Aravalli region.
Supporters have also urged the central government to pursue UNESCO Biosphere Reserve status for the entire Aravalli range, highlighting its role in regulating climate, preserving groundwater, protecting biodiversity and improving air quality for millions of people in Rajasthan, Haryana, Delhi and beyond.
The call for unity intensified after a Supreme Court ruling earlier this year touched on the legal definition of Aravalli hills, a move that environmentalists say could weaken protections for large portions of the ecosystem. Protesters stressed that comprehensive restoration and holistic legal safeguards — not fragmented definitions — are essential to save the range from further destruction. banners and placards that read “Save Aravallis,” “Protect Our Lungs,” and “No Defining Away Our Ecosystems”, reflecting broad public concern over the future of this ancient mountain system. Activists plan to continue their campaign with public campaigns, petitions and discussions with policymakers. Jaiswal .
