India, Dec. 25 -- Nearly 50 per cent of the Aravallis' area would become vulnerable to mining if the new definition accepted by the Supreme Court is applied, a Down To Earth (DTE) analysis has found.

This contradicts the environment minister's claim on December 23. Bhupender Yadav stated that according to the apex court ruling, 90 per cent of the Aravalli area comes under the protected zone, and there are no relaxations in this regard.

The apex court accepted the new definition on November 20, after it had directed the central government to formulate a 'uniform' definition within two months.

The Supreme Court, during its hearing on August 12, 2025, said: "We are only interested in protecting the precious Aravali Hills and Ranges. We do...