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Residents and environmental groups in Gurgaon have urged the Indian government to pursue UNESCO Biosphere Reserve status for the Aravalli hills, highlighting the need for long-term ecological protection. Organized by the Aravalli Bachao Citizens Movement (ABCM), the initiative emphasized restoring the entire 76,000 sq km range rather than limiting protection based on narrow landform definitions tied to mining. Attendees also demanded halts to mining and construction, stricter emission norms, free public transport, and higher taxes on private vehicles to support sustainable mobility. Discussions included recent Supreme Court decisions on hill classification and ongoing conservation challenges.
Gurgaon residents and environmental campaigners have intensified efforts to secure UNESCO Biosphere Reserve status for the Aravalli hills, arguing that international recognition would provide long-term ecological protection. The Aravalli Bachao Citizens Movement (ABCM) organized a Sunday Baithak near Suncity in the forest area, bringing together parents, senior citizens, students, and volunteers from across the National Capital Region. The gathering included poetry readings, discussions, and role-plays focused on environmental policies, conservation challenges, and recent court decisions. Advertisement
ABCM emphasized the need for a comprehensive restoration of the entire 76,000 sq km Aravalli landscape. They criticized fragmented approaches that rely on landform-based definitions, which are often linked to mining approvals. Biosphere Reserve status would allow the Aravallis to become a global learning site under the World Network of Biosphere Reserves (WNBR), promoting sustainable practices while safeguarding biodiversity. Activists stressed that community-based action is crucial for protecting ecosystems that provide groundwater recharge, air purification, and habitat for wildlife.
The event also presented a charter of demands, including a complete halt to mining across the Aravallis by Jan 26, pausing all construction until the air quality index reaches AQI 50, stricter emission norms for coal-fired power plants, and a ban on waste-to-energy plants. Additionally, they called for free public transport to reduce private vehicle usage and significantly higher taxes on personal vehicles to fund sustainable mobility programs.
Participants discussed the Supreme Court's recent order, which kept in abeyance an earlier directive that had adopted a Union environment ministry panel recommendation to classify Aravalli hills as landforms at least 100 metres above local relief, along with their slopes and adjacent lands. Activists argue that such a narrow definition could exclude ecologically important lower-lying areas, leaving them vulnerable to mining and development pressures.
The Aravallis, one of India's oldest mountain ranges, play a vital role in regional ecology, helping check desertification, supporting biodiversity, and moderating air pollution in Delhi-NCR. For years, grassroots campaigns have highlighted these contributions and demanded stronger, landscape-level protection that goes beyond narrow legal definitions. By seeking UNESCO recognition, residents aim to align local conservation efforts with global frameworks, ensuring sustainable management and long-term safeguarding of this ecologically significant range.
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