Most Rajasthan Illegal Mining FIRs Filed in Aravalli Districts

Districts in Rajasthan holding about 70 percent of the Aravalli range face a high volume of illegal mining cases, with over 77 percent of the State's illegal mining FIRs originating from these areas. While these districts account for less than 45 percent of the State's mining leases and generate only 40 percent of total mineral output, their share of illegal mining cases exceeds 56 percent. Between 2020 and 2023, the State recorded 28,166 illegal mining cases, with 15,772 registered in Aravalli districts. Out of 2,671 FIRs lodged during this period for illegal mining, 2,070 came from Aravalli districts. Between 2015 and 2022, these districts produced 918.8 million tonnes of minerals out of Rajasthan's total output of 2.26 billion tonnes. Proposed changes to the legal definition of an Aravalli hill threaten to remove protections from vast stretches of the range. The Supreme Court observed in May 2024 that a lack of a consistent definition enabled illegal mining. The Court formed a committee led by the Union Environment Secretary to set a uniform definition. A technical committee in 2024 suggested landforms with a slope of at least 4.57 degrees and a height of 30 metres be classed as hills. The Environment Ministry suggested a different approach, requiring landforms in Aravalli districts to rise at least 100 metres above local relief, which reflected in the Supreme Court's November 2025 order. Expert agencies like the Forest Survey of India and amicus curiae K. Parameswar objected, saying this could leave hills below 100 metres open to mining. The Court kept the judgment in abeyance following protests, and the Union government froze new mining leases in the area. The Aravalli range spans about 800 kilometres, with 560 kilometres in Rajasthan across 20 districts, and hosts 16 wildlife sanctuaries including three tiger reserves. The hills block Thar Desert dust, recharge groundwater, and serve as a wildlife corridor.