NAVI MUMBAI: A demand by environmental organisations to declare hill ranges as strict no-development zones (NDZ) has reached the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC), following intervention by the President of India.

The President’s secretariat has acknowledged a representation from the NatConnect Foundation opposing government proposals to allow mining activities in parts of the Aravalli Hills. The Secretariat confirmed that the issue has been forwarded to the Statutory Unit (SU) of the MoEFCC for detailed examination.

The Statutory Unit is the ministry’s regulatory oversight body. It evaluates public representations, reviews compliance with environmental laws, examines policy and legal implications, and addresses inter-departmental concerns before any formal decision or response is issued.

NatConnect Director B. N. Kumar stated, “The plea has been forwarded to Debabrata Das, Deputy Secretary at the MoEFCC. The submission emphasizes that natural ecosystems, which have evolved over millions of years, cannot be replaced or replicated by artificial or engineered solutions.”

While the Aravalli range is currently under focus, the foundation warned that similar development pressures are affecting hill systems across India. These include the Himalayas, Vindhyas, Parsik Hills, Sahyadris, Kharghar–Belapur Hills, and the Eastern Ghats.

According to NatConnect, hill ranges nationwide are being damaged through mining, construction, and large-scale cutting, often facilitated by policy loopholes, fragmented approvals, and weakened environmental safeguards.

Kumar argued, “The vision of a 'Viksit Bharat' cannot be achieved by undermining ecological foundations. He pointed to visible consequences such as destruction of groundwater recharge zones, increasing water scarcity, intensifying heatwaves and dust storms, flooding linked to hill cutting, irreversible loss of forests and wildlife, deteriorating air quality, rising health costs, and declining climate resilience.”

He cautioned that short-term economic gains could cause permanent damage to future generations. Protecting hill ranges, he said, "Is essential for sustainable development, urging the government to grant clear, uniform, and non-negotiable NDZ status to all hill systems, starting with the Aravallis."