Be Ready for Hot Winds and Dust Storms from the Thar
SHIMLA/ CHANDIGARH/NEW DELHI: Be prepared to face harsher hot winds and more frequent dust storms from the Thar Desert — not just in Delhi-NCR, Haryana and Punjab, but even up in the Himalayan glaciers.
This is the stark warning from environmental NGOs as controversy deepens over the new definition of the Aravalli range, which they fear will weaken India’s oldest natural climate barrier.
NGOs say the redefinition could expose low-lying Aravalli hills to large-scale mining, stripping the mountain chain of its ability to block desert winds and dust.
“Once the first line of defence is breached, the impact will not stop at the plains,” activists warn, pointing to evidence of desert dust already settling on glaciers in Lahaul-Spiti, accelerating ice melt and altering fragile Himalayan ecosystems.
WHY LOW HILLS ARE CRUCIAL
The Aravalli, formed over 1.5 billion years ago, is an eroded and gradual mountain system where even small ridges play a critical role.
Geologists stress that mountain chains do not rise suddenly — just as the Shiwaliks protect the plains before the Himalayas rise, the lower Aravalli hills shield North India from the Thar.
Removing them, experts say, is equivalent to dismantling the foundation of a wall.
SUPREME COURT: CLARITY WITH A WARNING
Accepting the Centre’s plea for uniformity, the Supreme Court observed that the lack of a clear definition of the Aravalli had caused “ambiguity, regulatory inconsistency and difficulty in enforcement.”
The court agreed that scientific clarity was necessary to regulate mining.
However, the apex court also cautioned that “development cannot be at the cost of irreversible environmental degradation,” and warned that damage to the Aravalli would have “serious and long-term consequences for future generations.”
GOVERNMENT’S STAND
The Modi government told the court that the redefinition was aimed at curbing illegal mining and enabling regulated, sustainable extraction, not at diluting environmental safeguards.
The Centre assured that a Management Plan for Sustainable Mining would be prepared for the entire Aravalli region. Acting on this assurance, the court directed that no fresh mining leases be granted until the plan is finalised.
NGOs FEAR A BACKDOOR FOR MINING
Environmental groups argue that nearly 90 per cent of the Aravalli system consists of hills below 100 metres, which may now fall outside legal protection.
“Ecology cannot be measured by height alone,” NGOs say, warning that the new definition could become a legal cover for mining mafias to strip low hills that block heat, dust and desert winds.
CLIMATE CHANGE IS THE NEW REALITY
Climate change, experts stress, is no longer a distant threat. The presence of dust-storm residues in Himalayan glaciers, including those in Lahaul-Spiti, shows how far desert dust can travel.
If the Aravalli’s barrier weakens, NGOs warn, dust storms from the Thar could march unchecked towards the Himalayas, darkening glaciers, accelerating melt and threatening water security for millions.
CALL FOR A FULL ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
Environmentalists are now urging the Modi government, the Rajasthan government and the Supreme Court to order a comprehensive Environmental Impact Assessment before taking a final call on redefining the Aravallis.
They argue that decisions taken today will determine whether North India faces a future of hotter winds, dust-laden skies and vanishing water sources.
Once the Aravalli barrier is broken, the damage cannot be undone — by courts, governments or time.
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