The Aravalli Range

The Aravalli Range literally meaning 'line of peaks' ^[1], is a range of mountains in western India running approximately 800 km from northeast to southwest across states of Rajasthan, Haryana, and Gujarat.^[2][3]. It is also called Mewat hills locally.

[edit] Features

Topographic map of India showing the range.

Aravali range inside Ranthambhore, Rajasthan.

Ranthambore National Park

The northern end of the range continues as isolated hills and rocky ridges into Haryana state, ending near Delhi. The southern end is at Palanpur near Ahmedabad, Gujarat. The highest peak is Guru Shikhar in Mount Abu. Rising to 5653 feet (1723 meters), it lies near the southwestern extremity of the range, close to the border with the Gujrat District. The city of Udaipur with its lake lies on the south slope of the range in Rajasthan. Numerous rivers arises amidst the ranges including, Banas River, Luni River, Sakhi, Sabarmati River.

The Aravalli Range is the eroded stub of a range of ancient folded mountains.^[4] The range rose in a Precambrian event called the Aravalli-Delhi orogen. The range joins two of the ancient segments that make up the Indian craton, the Marwar segment to the northwest of the range, and the Bundelkhand segment to the southeast.

Old fold mountains are characterized by having stopped growing higher due to the cessation of upward thrust caused by the stopping of movement of the tectonic plates in the Earth's crust below them. In ancient times they were extremely high but since have worn down almost completely by millions of years of weathering. In stark contrast Himalayas are continuously rising young fold mountains of today.

[edit] Mining in Aravali hills

Aravalli Hill

Being rich in mineral resources, the Aravali hills have witnessed years of illegal mining, which have led to their fast erosion in Rajasthan and Haryana. This also poses a grave environmental concern as the ranges form a natural barrier against the spread of the Thar desert northwards into the Gangetic plains in the Gangetic basin and Gujarat^[5]

In May 2009, after months of media and public protests, along with several environmental groups, the Supreme Court banned mining in an area of 448 km², across Faridabad, Gurgaon and Mewat districts in Haryana, that was once supposed to be set aside for a national park. This comes after SC's earlier judgment in 1994 that allowed limited mining on the basis of the sustainable development principle and under strict guidelines, which were violated by local miners as the court ruled ^[6][7].

[edit] Further reading

• Watershed Management in Aravali Foothills, by Gurmel Singh, S. S. Grewal, R. C. Kaushal. Published by Central Soil & Water Conservation Research & Training Institute, 1990.

[edit] Notes

[edit] External links

• Aravalli Range Homepage India Environment Portal.
• http://www.savearavali.com
• http://www.rajirrigation.gov.in/1rainfall.htm

Coordinates: 25°00′N 73°30′E / 25°N 73.5°E / 25; 73.5