Centre bans new mining lease in Aravalli range

A letter in this regard has been sent to the Chief Secretaries of four states by the ministry. The Centre has also directed that for the mines already in operation, the state governments concerned shall ensure strict compliance with all environmental safeguards.

However, no timeline has been set by the ministry for the completion of the survey.

Further, the ministry has also directed the ICFRE to identify additional areas/zones in the Aravallis where mining should be prohibited, over and above the areas already barred for mining by the Centre, based on ecological, geological and landscape-level considerations.

The ministry has sent a letter to the director of the ICFRE to look into the entire Aravalli landscape, including its continuity as a geological ridge extending from Gujarat to Delhi, while preparing a management plan for sustainable mining (MSPM) to identify all such land forms/zones where mining needs to be prohibited in addition to the areas, which already stand prohibited for mining, including the core/inviolate areas and the hills and ranges, so that the same could also be conserved and protected.

“The ICFRE has been directed to undertake this exercise while preparing a comprehensive, science-based MPSM for the entire Aravalli range. 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,” the ministry said.

Under the operational framework accepted by the Supreme Court, the Aravalli hills are defined as any landform located in the Aravalli districts that is100-metre high.

Amicus curiae P Parameshwar had told the Supreme Court that if the definition of 100 metres was accepted, all hills below the height of 100 metres would be opened up for mining and as a result, the Aravali ranges would lose their continuity and integrity.

The Central Empowered Committee (CEC) appointed by the Supreme Court has in its report stated the extent of illegal mining in the Aravalli range is so severe that hillocks situated in the forest blocks of Haryana have disappeared and craters equal to the size of two or three football grounds have been created.