Why in News ?
- The article reflects on the ecological, cultural, historical, and civilisational importance of hills and hill ranges in India, in the backdrop of the Supreme Court’s November 20, 2025 judgment on the Aravalli range, which critics fear could dilute protections and enable destructive land-use changes.
- Using examples such as Pavagadh, the Vindhyas, Satpuras, Eastern Ghats, and the Aravallis, it argues that hills are not minor landforms, but critical ecosystems, strategic landscapes, and heritage spaces essential to human history and environmental stability.
Relevance
GS-III | Environment, Ecology, Biodiversity
- Ecosystem services of hill ranges — watersheds, climate buffers, carbon sinks.
- Conservation vs land-use change, sustainable hill governance.
GS-I | Geography & Culture
- Physiography of Indian hill ranges; civilisational, archaeological significance.
What is a Hill and Why It Matters ?a
- Hills vs Mountains
- Mountains are typically higher and steeper; hills are smaller but geologically, ecologically, and culturally significant.
- Global significance
- Hills and mountains cover ~25% of Earth’s land area and support ~40% of the world’s population (Ecological Indicators, 2024).
- Core ecosystem services
- Water storage & watershed protection
- Flood moderation & climate regulation
- Carbon sequestration & oxygen production
- Natural barriers & wind / desert-sand buffers (e.g., Aravallis)
Historical & Civilisational Importance — Key Illustrations
1) Pavagadh Hill (Gujarat) — Culture, Power & Settlement
- Part of Deccan Traps / Aravalli-extension zone; strategic height fostered urban settlement & dynastic control.
- Capital of Mahmud Begada’s Champaner (1484) — a symbol of trade control, political authority, and architectural legacy.
2) Vindhya Range — Boundary, Watershed, Culture
- Acts as a civilisational and geographic divide between Indo-Gangetic plains & Deccan Plateau.
- Major river systems arise here (Betwa, Ken, Son, Parbati, Kali Sindh).
- Hosts rich teak–sal–bamboo ecosystems and megafauna.
3) Satpura Range — Biodiversity Corridor & “Faunal Bridge”
- Satpura Tiger Reserve → rare & endemic flora (bryophytes, pteridophytes).
- Satpura Hypothesis → corridor enabling faunal dispersal between Himalayas & Western Ghats.
4) Eastern Ghats — Tribal Landscapes & Seed Diversity
- Home to ancient tribal communities and 454 endemic plant species.
- Jeypore Tract → secondary centre of origin of cultivated rice (high agro-biodiversity value).
5) Archaeological & Anthropological Significance
- Rock shelters like Bhimbetka → evidence of early human habitation, art, and evolution.
Why Hills Are Irreplaceablec?
- Ecological buffers → regulate rainfall, microclimates, groundwater recharge.
- Cultural geographies → pilgrimage, heritage landscapes, identity spaces.
- Strategic terrain → control over trade routes, defence vantage, settlement evolution.
- Human–nature continuity → habitats supporting communities, wildlife, livelihoods.
The critique warns that reducing hills to narrow legal/technical definitions risks legitimising mining, real-estate expansion, and ecological fragmentation, undermining their multidimensional value.
Key Takeaway
- Hills are not expendable minor elevations; they are living ecosystems, historical archives, climate stabilisers, and cultural anchors.
- Any policy or judicial framework must treat them with ecological sensitivity, historical awareness, and long-term sustainability, rather than purely economic or land-use lenses.
