Congress is preparing to step up its ground-level mobilisation around the “Save Aravalli” campaign, with party leaders weighing a statewide yatra that could feature participation from the central leadership as part of a broader effort to sharpen pressure on the Union government over land use, mining and environmental safeguards in the fragile hill range.The Aravalli system, stretching across Rajasthan, Haryana and parts of the National Capital Region, has become a renewed political flashpoint as conservation groups warn that construction activity, quarrying and regulatory dilution are accelerating ecological stress in one of the subcontinent’s oldest mountain chains. Congress leaders argue that the issue resonates beyond environmental circles, touching water security, air quality and long-term urban sustainability for millions living in and around Delhi and adjoining states.
Party strategists say the proposed yatra is intended to combine symbolic visibility with sustained local engagement, moving through villages, peri-urban settlements and ecologically sensitive zones where residents have flagged groundwater depletion, loss of forest cover and rising dust pollution. Senior functionaries believe the physical presence of national leaders would lend weight to the campaign and underline the party’s intent to frame Aravalli protection as a governance and public health concern rather than a niche ecological cause.
The timing of the move reflects a wider recalibration within Congress as it seeks to rebuild organisational momentum in northern states where environmental questions are increasingly intersecting with livelihoods and urban planning. Leaders involved in the planning say the outreach would be structured around interactions with farmers, forest-dependent communities, civil society groups and subject-matter experts, aiming to project the party as responsive to grassroots anxieties rather than reactive to headline-driven activism.
The Aravalli debate has intensified over regulatory changes and court interpretations that critics say have weakened safeguards on land categorised as forest or ecologically sensitive. Environmental advocates have pointed to notifications and policy shifts that allow certain construction and mining activities under specific conditions, arguing that cumulative impacts are not being adequately assessed. The party has signalled it will foreground these concerns while pressing for stricter enforcement of existing laws and a transparent review of clearances granted in the region.
Congress leaders are also expected to highlight data on groundwater decline and desertification trends linked to the degradation of the hill range. Hydrologists have long maintained that the Aravallis act as a natural barrier against the spread of desert conditions from the west and play a critical role in recharging aquifers. Party spokespersons say translating such technical assessments into accessible messaging will be central to the outreach, particularly in areas facing acute water stress.
The planned mobilisation is not without political calculation. By placing the Aravallis at the centre of its narrative, Congress aims to draw contrasts with the ruling dispensation’s development model, which it accuses of prioritising real estate expansion and extractive activity over ecological balance. At the same time, party insiders acknowledge the need to avoid appearing obstructionist, stressing that the campaign will also articulate alternatives such as sustainable urban planning, eco-restoration projects and green employment.
Within the party, there is discussion about aligning the yatra with parallel initiatives on climate resilience and environmental justice, themes that have gained traction among younger voters. Organisers say social media amplification will complement on-ground activity, but the emphasis will remain on face-to-face संवाद, reflecting a belief that credibility on environmental issues is built through sustained local presence rather than episodic statements.
Reactions from rival parties have been cautious, with some leaders questioning whether Congress is attempting to revive an issue that has surfaced periodically without yielding durable policy shifts. Supporters of the campaign counter that the cumulative environmental damage in the Aravallis has reached a point where sustained political pressure is unavoidable, and that silence would amount to complicity.