Center Vows To Protect Entire Aravallis; Says No To New Mining Leases, Protected Zone To Be Expanded | India News

Responding to recent controversy over Aravalli mining laws, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) reaffirmed the Union Government’s commitment to protecting the entire range. In a significant move to curb illegal mining from Delhi to Gujarat, the Ministry has directed states to implement a complete ban on granting any new mining leases across the Aravalli hills. The ministry said that existing mining activities will also be strictly regulated to protect the environment.

“This prohibition applies uniformly across the entire Aravalli landscape and is intended to preserve the integrity of the range. The directions are aimed at safeguarding the Aravallis as a continuous geological ridge extending from Gujarat to the National Capital Region, and at stopping all unregulated mining activities,” said the Ministry in a statement.

The environment ministry has also directed the Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education (ICFRE) to identify additional areas/zones in the entire Aravallis, where mining should be prohibited, over and above the areas already prohibited for mining by the Centre, based on ecological, geological and landscape-level considerations.

It said, “ICFRE has been directed to undertake this exercise while preparing a comprehensive, science-based Management Plan for Sustainable Mining (MPSM) for the entire Aravalli region. The Plan, which will be placed in the public domain for wide stakeholder consultation, will assess the cumulative environmental impact and ecological carrying capacity, identify ecologically sensitive and conservation-critical areas, and lay down measures for restoration and rehabilitation.”

This exercise by the Center would further enlarge the coverage of areas protected and prohibited from mining in the entire Aravallis, keeping in mind the local topography, ecology and biodiversity.

“The Center has also directed that for the mines already in operation, the State Governments concerned shall ensure strict compliance with all environmental safeguards and in conformance with the Supreme Court’s order. Ongoing mining activities are to be regulated strictly, with additional restrictions, to ensure environmental protection and adherence to sustainable mining practices,” it said. The Government of India said that it stands fully committed towards long-term protection of the Aravalli ecosystem, recognizing its critical role in preventing desertification, conserving biodiversity, recharging aquifers, and providing environmental services for the region.