A recent satellite audit found that 31.8% of the Aravalli hill range is at ecological risk after the government set a 100-metre height limit for legal protection. This was announced by the conservation group “We Are Aravalli” in Jaipur on January 5, 2026. They criticized the Centre’s assessment which claimed only 0.19% area is affected. Climate scientist Sudhanshu, part of the group, said their independent analysis used satellite data and the FABDEM model to study the hills. He stated, "Our analysis has confirmed that 31.8% of the total hill area falls below the arbitrary threshold of 100 metres. These areas of Aravalli landscape, comprising ecologically vital hills and ridges, are now effectively stripped of legal protection." The group said that the low-lying hills are key water recharge zones and protect 30 crore people across Rajasthan, Haryana, and Delhi from dust storms. Removing protection puts lives at risk. Sudhanshu warned that mining in these areas would worsen desertification as the Thar Desert already threatens fertile plains. The Aravalli hills also act as natural barriers reducing dust pollution. Mining will increase pollution like PM 2.5 in the Delhi-NCR region. The collective demands the whole Aravalli range be declared a "fully protected zone" without any height-based distinction between hills and mountains. They want a full ban on mining, except limited rare earth mineral extraction for national security. They also call for cancelling all current mining leases due to ecological harm. Areas like Chittorgarh, Nagaur, Bundi, Kaman, and Sawai Madhopur, now excluded from the Aravalli definition, should be officially included. The group urges state governments to restore damaged hills by improving soil, water retention, and native plants. Meanwhile, the Supreme Court has paused its earlier directions on Aravalli hill classification.