In 2011, Abdulali filed public interest litigation to oppose leases issued by the Government of Maharashtra to allow open-pit mining in the Sawantwadi-Dodamarg corridor of the Western Ghats. Abdulali and others argued that such mining would have a disruptive effect on local wildlife in the biodiverse Sawantwadi-Dodamarg corridor, which provides a habitat for such endangered species as leopards and tigers. Abdulali filed a public interest litigation requesting that the area be declared an Ecologically Sensitive Area (ESA) and a zero mining policy be applied in the area. In 2013, the Bombay High Court granted the Sawantwadi-Dodamarg corridor ESA status and issued an order that the government impose a moratorium on mining activities in the area to preserve biodiversity.