To,
The Hon’ble Chief Justice
Supreme Court of India, New Delhi
Subject: Prayer regarding the grave calamity that has befallen the Aravalli and for suo motu cognizance for the protection of The Aravallis, a natural eco-system, more than 2.5-billion-year-old
Respected Sir,
My life has been devoted to the struggle for the protection of nature, water and land; this struggle will continue throughout my life. I am deeply distressed by the judgment of the Supreme Court by which the Aravali has been defined and demarcated, thereby effectively breaking the integrity and continuity of the Aravali eco-system into thousands of hillocks, opening the rest of more than 90 per cent of the area open for mining and development. There is no 100 m hillock along the Delhi-Haryana border. Thus, I believe it may open all those protected areas of the Aravali for new mining and development and allow the Thar desert to enter Delhi.
The Aravalli is not an object; it is an ecosystem of hills with gentle slopes. Winds, the monsoon, groundwater reserves, water harvesting systems, vegetation, forests, wildlife, and all forms of biodiversity together have shaped the Aravalli over millions of years. These very bio-diversities also sustain it. Is it possible in any way to define or demarcate the Aravali? It is our duty to ensure that the protection and enrichment of any ecological zone and natural resource should be such that its quality increases and is not diminished in any manner. Perhaps this is what fundamental environmental principles, such as the Public Trust Doctrine and Intergenerational Equity, teach us. Our Constitution and our constitutional duties also say the same.
Aravali is simply Aravali. The bases for understanding it are geomorphology, nature, and culture. The ancient natural definition of the Aravalli can be defined only by understanding the core spirit of the Indian knowledge system, not based on economic parameters. The serious negative impacts of the judgment regarding the 100 metre, 50 metre and slope can be very well mapped and shown to the Hon’ble Supreme Court by some independent agencies on the existing maps of the Survey of India.
The geographical significance of the Aravalli is well known to all. The Supreme Court has acknowledged this significance many times. Even before our origin, the Aravalli has played a role in the formation of the Himalayas, the seas, and the Sahyadri ranges around it. At a time when climate change is afflicting the masses, when air has become so polluted that even breathing has become difficult, can we even imagine causing any kind of harm to the Aravali? What is needed today and is of significant importance to keep the Aravali safe and to make it green and flourishing, so that we may be protected from natural calamities. Any kind of mining or any adverse activity, including mining and development that harms the Aravali, must be rejected.
The consciousness to save the Aravali is spreading among the people like fire. This too is an important sign and warning from nature and life force itself —that the destruction of the Aravali will mean the destruction of human life and nature. There will be no compensation for such a loss, and if anything unfortunate like this happens, none of us will ever be able to forgive it.
In the year 1994, based on a petition filed by me, a Bench headed by Justice Venkatachaiah ordered the closure of 478 mines in Sariska and thereafter stopped mining throughout the Aravali. Today, there is once again a need for that same judicial consciousness and action.
It will not be out of place to mention that the destruction of earlier civilisations, such as the Indus Valley and Dola Vera (Mohenjo-Daro) happened due to loss of water.
I humbly pray to you, at this moment of grave calamity, that while holding the office of Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of India, you discharge your highest duty to protect the Aravali ecosystem, which will ensure the survival of humanity. The people of this country and future generations will always remain grateful to you.
Date: 28 December 2025
Yours sincerely,
Rajendra Singh
Stockholm Water Awardee and Magsaysay awardee
Chairperson, Tarun Bharat Sangh