Explainer: How shifting sands on Aravallis is adding to confusion

As the controversy over the definition of Aravallis escalates with environmentalists and experts claiming that a large area of the hill range would now be open for mining, the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) stated on December 24 that directions have been issued to states “for a complete ban on the grant of any new mining leases”.The statement adds, “This prohibition applies uniformly across the entire Aravalli landscape…. 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.”Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav shared the statement on his X handle.However, Congress’ Jairam Ramesh, the Environment and Forest Minister during UPA-II, reacted on X, “This is a bogus attempt at damage control. These are pious proclamations but the dangerous 100m+ redefinition of the Aravallis — rejected by the Forest Survey of India, the Supreme Court-mandated Central Empowered Committee, and the Supreme Court’s amicus curiae — remains unchanged.”Meanwhile, the Forest Survey of India (FSI), in a post on X on December 23, refuted claims that it had conducted any study that said only 9 per cent of the Aravallis is above 100 metres.Importance of the AravallisOne of the oldest geological features on earth, the Aravalli hills and ranges encompass 22 wildlife sanctuaries, four tiger reserves, Keoladeo National Park, and wetlands. Besides, it has aquifers that recharge river systems and extend across Gujarat, Rajasthan, Delhi and Haryana, covering more than 650 km. The majority of the range passes through Rajasthan and extends for approximately 560 km.According to scientific assessments, this ecosystem functions as a “green barrier”, acting as a “shield” against desertification by stopping the eastward expansion of Thar Desert into the Indo-Gangetic Plains, Haryana, and western Uttar Pradesh.What the SC order saysOn May 9 last year, the Supreme Court observed that one of the significant issues about illegal mining was on account of different definitions of “Aravalli hills/ranges” adopted by various states. Haryana didn’t even have a definition then.The court set up a panel comprising the Union environment secretary, the forest secretaries of Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan and Gujarat, and a representative each from FSI, Central Empowered Committee (CEC) and the Geological Survey of India (GSI), with the Union environment joint secretary as the convener. It submitted its report in October this year.An SC Bench, comprising the then Chief Justice of India BR Gavai and Justices K Vinod Chandran and NV Anjaria, on November 20 accepted the panel’s recommendation on the definition of Aravalli hills/ranges — “Any landform located in the Aravalli districts, having an elevation of 100 metres or more from the local relief, shall be termed as Aravalli hills”. Also, “two or more Aravalli hills located within a proximity of 500 metres from each other, measured from the outermost point on the boundary of the lowest contour line on either side, form the Aravalli range”.Amicus curiae K Parameshwar submitted that if this definition were to be accepted, all the hills below 100 metres would be opened up for mining. The Aravalli hills and ranges would lose their continuity and integrity. It would totally endanger the mountains’ environment and ecology, he added.In addition to accepting the definitions, the apex court directed the ministry to prepare a Management Plan for Sustainable Mining (MPSM) through the Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education (ICFRE) for the entire Aravallis. The MPSM will identify permissible areas for mining. The court also approved mining in the already operational mines.On December 21, the Centre clarified that the committee formed on the directions of the SC had extensive consultations with state governments, during which it emerged that only Rajasthan had a formally established definition for regulating mining in the Aravalli region.Rajasthan had relied on expert Richard Murphy’s classification, which identified all those landforms rising 100 metres above local relief as hills, and, on that basis, prohibited mining on the hills and their supporting slopes.The statement added that as the Aravalli range has been defined as all landforms within 500 metres of two adjoining hills with a height of 100 metres or more, “all landforms existing within this 500-metre zone, irrespective of their height and slopes, are excluded from the grant of a mining lease”.The Centre stressed, “It is, therefore, wrong to conclude that mining is permitted in all landforms below 100 metres in height.”On December 24, the environment ministry said that the ICFRE has been directed “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”. The plan, it added, will be placed in the public domain and “will assess the cumulative environmental impact and ecological carrying capacity, identify ecologically sensitive and conservation-critical areas, and lay down measures for restoration”.The FSI view“According to FSI, Rajasthan’s definition, based on Murphy’s classification, works well as far as a broad classification is concerned, but can’t be fully relied upon when micro-level and site-specific planning, as is required in the ecologically important Aravalli hill and range, is to be done,” said the Central Empowered Committee report on the issue.In the FSI methodology, all regions with a slope of 3 degrees or more are classified as hills, with a uniform 100-metre-wide buffer applied on the downhill side. The flat areas, tabletops, depressions, and valleys, falling within the above, have also been included among the hills.Experts’ point of viewThe Aravalli Virasat Jan Abhiyan has questioned Environment Minister Yadav on the total number of hills that will be regarded as Aravalli hills as per the FSI methodology and also the new 100m definition. It has sought information on the area under both.A retired Haryana IFS officer, not wishing to be named, said, “It is alarming that the Aravalli hills, once acknowledged as forests by the highest court of the land, are being opened for mining by redefining hills through a politically convenient height criterion. What could not be destroyed directly is now being dismantled by first mining hills down below 100 metres and then declaring them as non-hills.”

Explainer: How shifting sands on Aravallis is adding to confusion

SC order, panel report, amicus curiae's argument, clarification of environment ministry — confusion reigns over height, mining norms

Bhartesh Singh Thakur

Explainer: How shifting sands on Aravallis is adding to confusion

SC order, panel report, amicus curiae's argument, clarification of environment ministry — confusion reigns over height, mining norms

Bhartesh Singh Thakur

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