The Aravalli range is one of the planet’s oldest mountain ranges, having formed around 2.5 billion years ago. However, scientific data indicate that this historic landscape might be on the verge of permanent deterioration. Recent research warns that the Aravalli range could vanish by 2059 if current land-use trends continue unchecked. In light of the legal and political controversy surrounding the definition and preservation of the Aravalli hills, this ominous forecast has attracted fresh attention.

Scientists warn that the mountains were already crumbling long before this controversy, even if the Supreme Court of India has temporarily suspended its November 20 ruling redefining the Aravallis and will hear the case again on January 21, 2026. The ecological foundation of northwest India has been gradually undermined by mining, urbanization, and agriculture.

How Do Scientists Know the Aravallis are Shrinking So Fast?

The Aravalli landscape underwent what researchers from the Central University of Rajasthan refer to as a “44-year autopsy,” providing some of the most convincing proof of long-term deterioration to date. Their findings support the warning that the Aravalli range could vanish by 2059.

Study analysis:

• Satellite data (1975–2019): Over forty years, high-resolution images monitored changes in land usage.
• Machine-learning models: To reconstruct historical trends and project future scenarios, programs such as TerrSet Land Change Modeller and Google Earth Engine were used.
• Regional breakdown: The top, middle, and lower Aravalli zones were evaluated for changes.

The Aravallis lost around 5,772.7 sq km of forest between 1975 and 2019, or 7.6% of the total forest cover. Large tracts of hills and valleys that had previously been forested and shrub-covered were transformed into settlements (approximately 776.8 sq km) and barren land (about 3,676 sq km), demonstrating a slow but unrelenting human occupation.

Also Read: Mass Protests And Mining Concerns Prompt Supreme Court’s Suo Motu Action On Aravallis

Why are Forests Most at Risk of Turning Into Settlements?

The Aravalli range could vanish by 2059 within a single human lifetime, according to a study, a picture that is further underscored by future estimates.

Model Predictions:

• Forest-to-settlement conversion: It is estimated that 16,360.8 sq km of forest, or roughly 21.6% of the Aravalli forest area, will be converted directly into settlements by 2059.
• Urban sprawl: Roads, housing, and industry are being pushed farther into hill ecosystems by growing cities across Delhi-NCR, Udaipur, and Sirohi.
• Persistent transitions: The strongest and most persistent trends are those from forest to settlement and from barren to settlement.

Projected Forest Cover Over Time:

• 2029: ~25,226 sq km
• 2039: ~27,116 sq km
• 2049: ~27,059 sq km
• 2059: ~25,657 sq km

Fears that the Aravalli range could vanish by 2059 if policy and planning remain intact are reinforced by the long-term trajectory, which indicates persistent pressure and eventual decrease despite short-term variations.

Also Read: How The Supreme Court’s Aravalli Verdict Reshapes Environmental Protection

Why Does the Loss of the Aravallis Matter Beyond Rajasthan and Haryana?

There is much more to the Aravallis than just an old geological feature. Experts emphasize that the Aravalli range could vanish by 2059 is not a local issue, as its degradation has cascading effects throughout northwest India.

Important ecological functions in jeopardy:

• Climate regulation: The range helps control dust storms that sweep through the Thar region and moderates intense temperatures.
• Water security: Aquifers vital to Rajasthan, Haryana, Delhi, and Gujarat are replenished by forested hills.
• Soil stability: By stabilizing delicate soils, vegetation lessens desertification and erosion.
• Biodiversity corridors: Through fragmented landscapes, the hills link animal areas.

Large-scale forest loss compromises climate resilience, upsets biogeochemical cycles, and increases livelihood hazards for populations that rely on groundwater and agriculture.

Also Read: Deforestation Law In EU Pushed Back A Year After Member Approval

Can This Research Still Help Save the Aravallis?

Even though forecasts indicate that the Aravalli range could vanish by 2059 under a business-as-usual scenario, the study is meant to serve as both a warning and a planning tool despite its grave conclusions.

How might the results be applied?

• Targeted protection: Locating areas that are most susceptible to urbanization and mining.
• More innovative urban planning: Encouraging compact growth instead of hill-cutting sprawl.
• Ecological restoration: Giving repair of damaged forest sections top priority.
• Policy alignment: Influencing conservation tactics, land-use regulations, and court rulings.

The researchers stress that whether these ancient mountains continue to exist as a living system or break up into isolated green enclaves will depend primarily on decisions made by humans regarding mining permissions, infrastructure routes, and housing expansion.

Geological time is compressed into a severe human-scale limit by the warning that the Aravalli range could vanish by 2059. Depending on how land, laws, and livelihoods are handled in the coming years, what took billions of years to form could be destroyed in decades.

Also Read: Amazon Rainforest Faces Climate Transformation Echoing Earth’s Distant Past

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q1. Does mining threaten the Aravalli range?

No. Although mining is essential, highways, towns, agriculture, and urban growth are all contributing to the extensive loss of forests.

Q2. Does the Aravallis’ temporary safety result from the Supreme Court’s stay?

The stay delays the application of a new definition. Regardless of legal deadlines, ecological deterioration persists on the ground.

Q3. Can the harm still be undone?

Strict protection, restoration, and sustainable design can lead to partial recovery, but delays will make recovery more difficult and costly.

Also Read: Madhya Pradesh’s Sal Forests Are Facing Severe Borer Outbreak: A Forest In Crisis