New Delhi: The Supreme Court has taken suo motu cognizance of the Aravali Hills case. Let us tell you that the case will be heard from Monday. The case will be heard from Monday under the chairmanship of CJI Surya Kant. Let us tell you that recently demonstrations were seen in many areas regarding Aravalli Hills. However, the Central Government is continuously saying clearly regarding this matter that there is no threat of any kind to the Aravalli Hills. Congress alleges that the definition of Aravali has been changed to allow large-scale mining. However, the government has completely rejected this claim of Congress.
What did the government say on the controversy?
Let us tell you that recently the Central Government issued instructions to the State Governments to impose a complete ban on granting any type of new mining lease in Aravalli. This restriction applies equally to the entire Aravalli terrain and is aimed at preserving the integrity of the mountain range. These directions aim to protect the Aravallis as a continuous geological chain extending from Gujarat to the National Capital Region and to stop all unregulated mining activities.
Further, the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has directed the Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education to identify additional areas/zones in the entire Aravalli region. In addition to the areas already prohibited for mining by the Centre, mining needs to be banned in these places based on ecological, geological and terrain level considerations.
A comprehensive plan will be prepared
The Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education has been entrusted with the task of preparing a comprehensive, science-based management plan for sustainable mining for the entire Aravalli region. The plan will assess the cumulative environmental impact and ecological carrying capacity, as well as identify ecologically sensitive and conservation-critical areas and determine restoration and rehabilitation measures. The plan will be made public for wide stakeholder consultation.
This effort by the Center will further expand the scope of protected and restricted areas from mining in the entire Aravalli region, taking into account the local topography (the study or description of the topography of a place, surface features like mountains, rivers, valleys and elevation), ecology and biodiversity.
Strictly follow environmental protection measures
The Central Government has also directed that the concerned State Governments should ensure strict compliance of all environmental protection measures as per the order of the Supreme Court in respect of already operational mines. Ongoing mining activities should be strictly regulated with additional restrictions to ensure environmental protection and adherence to sustainable mining practices. The Central Government is fully committed to the long-term conservation of the Aravalli Ecosystem. The Government believes that the Aravallis have an important role in preventing desertification, conserving biodiversity, recharging aquifers and providing environmental services to the region.
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