India, June 6 -- As bulldozers inch deeper into the Aravallis and unchecked urban sprawl carves away its ancient ridgelines, experts at Urban Adda 2025 issued a stark warning - the degradation of the Aravalli ecosystem could upend Delhi-NCR's fight against air pollution, water scarcity, and urban heat.

Speaking at a panel co-hosted by GuruJal and the School of Planning and Architecture (SPA), Delhi, environmentalists called the Aravallis not just a green buffer but the region's last line of defence against environmental disaster. "Creeks and groundwater recharge zones are vanishing," said Dr Ranjana Ray Chaudhuri of The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI). "This is not just biodiversity loss - it's a suicide pact with climate."

The wa...