New Delhi, Dec 28 (NationPress) Senior Congress figure and ex-Minister Jairam Ramesh has addressed a letter to Union Minister for Environment, Forests and Climate Change Bhupender Yadav, expressing significant apprehensions regarding the recent redefinition of the Aravalli Hills, which limits their classification to landforms exceeding 100 metres in elevation.

On Sunday, Ramesh shared the letter through the social media platform X, stating, “Here is my most recent correspondence to the Union Minister of Environment, Forests, & Climate Change, posing four critical questions about the detrimental redefinition of the Aravallis.”

In his letter dated December 28, Ramesh highlighted what he termed as widespread unease concerning the new definition and sought clarification from the minister by asking four specific questions. He addressed Minister Yadav, stating: “There are understandably extensive concerns regarding the re-definition of the Aravalli Hills that confines them to landforms with an elevation of 100 meters or above. In this regard, I kindly request permission to raise four specific questions for your consideration.”

Ramesh referenced the Forest Survey of India (FSI) report from August 28, 2010, which served as the foundation for defining the Aravalli Hills in Rajasthan since 2012. He quoted the report, noting: “All areas featuring a slope of 3 degrees or more shall be classified as hills, complemented by a uniform 100-meter-wide buffer added to the downhill side to account for potential expansion corresponding to a 20-meter hill height, equivalent to a contour interval of 20 meters. Flat lands, tabletops, depressions, and valleys within these defined regions shall also be considered part of the hills.”

He also cited an FSI communication from September 20, 2025, emphasizing the ecological significance of smaller hill formations: “The smaller hills of the Aravallis act as natural barriers against desertification by halting heavier sand particles, thus shielding Delhi and adjacent plains from sandstorms. Since the protective capacity of a barrier against windblown sand is directly proportional to its height, even modest hills ranging from 10 to 30 m serve as effective natural windbreaks.”

Additionally, Ramesh referenced a report from the Central Empowered Committee (CEC), established by the Supreme Court, which identified that 164 mining leases in Rajasthan fell within the Aravalli Hills according to the earlier FSI definition.

Warning of grave ecological repercussions, he questioned whether the new definition would lead to the loss of numerous small hillocks, thereby jeopardizing the geographical and ecological integrity of the Aravalli range, which spans across four states.

The letter reinforced the Congress party's opposition to the amended definition of the Aravalli Hills.