New Delhi, March 11 -- Rapid urbanisation, mining and increased rainfall have driven an average 13.8% increase in soil loss across the Aravalli Mountain System between 2017 and 2024, a new research paper stated. Built-up areas in the region grew by 53%, or 2,644 sq km, during the seven-year period -- expansion that primarily replaced croplands and rangelands. Researchers from the Jindal School of Environment and Sustainability (JSES) at OP Jindal Global University and the Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur published the findings in the journal Geographies on March 6. The study concluded that steep slopes, susceptible soils and mining areas are strongly associated with erosion hotspots. It noted that local conservation efforts, despite...