Centre will draw up new conservation plan for Aravalli, says Environment Minister amid row over SC order
Following the controversy surrounding the recent Supreme Court order regarding the new definition of the Aravalli hills based on a 100-metre criterion, Union Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change Bhupendra Yadav said the directive aims to restrict illegal mining. He added that the Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education (ICFRE) will develop a detailed, district-wise conservation plan for the Aravalli region in accordance with the Supreme Court's order. The Supreme Court order pertains to mining and cannot be interpreted for other purposes such as residential development or restriction of agricultural lands, Yadav clarified to reporters in Delhi on Monday. He accused opposition leaders of spreading misinformation and claimed that the previous Congress-led government initiated illegal mining in the Aravalli areas. The Union government has announced a freeze on new mining leases in the region, as mandated by the Supreme Court. This freeze is part of a framework established by the court to provide stronger protections for the mountain system and to ensure that no new mining leases will be granted until a comprehensive management plan is finalized. The ICFRE will be tasked with preparing a district-wise plan for the 37 districts where the Aravalli hills are located. The court has allowed mining under exceptional conditions. If permitted under exceptional and scientifically justified circumstances, the order includes a thorough analysis of cumulative environmental impact, which encompasses detailed post-mining restoration and rehabilitation, explained Yadav. Additionally, mining may be allowed in the case of strategic minerals and needs related to atomic energy. Yadav also provided details on the current mining areas in the Aravalli hills. There are currently 217 square kms under mining out of a total of 1,47,577 square kms in the Aravalli region, which is less than 2%, he stated. Meanwhile, the Supreme Court has reopened the judgement after some petitioners appealed for a review in light of recent controversies, which may put 90% of the Aravalli region at risk of mining. Earlier, in the wake of the controversy regarding the 100-metre criterion, the government clarified that the definition of the Aravalli hills and ranges has been standardized across states under the Supreme Court's direction. This standardization aims to eliminate ambiguity and prevent the misuse of practices that allowed mining to occur dangerously close to the bases of the hills. In response to longstanding cases concerning illegal mining in the Aravallis, the Supreme Court constituted a committee in May 2024 to recommend a uniform definition, as different states had been using inconsistent criteria for granting mining permissions. This committee, chaired by the Environment Ministry Secretary and comprising representatives from Rajasthan, Haryana, Gujarat, and Delhi, along with technical experts, found that only Rajasthan had an officially established definition, which has been in place since 2006. According to this definition, landforms that rise 100 metres or more above local relief are classified as hills, and mining is prohibited within the lowest bounding contour that encloses such hills, regardless of the height or slope of the landforms inside the contour. It has been agreed that all states will adopt this long-standing definition from Rajasthan, along with additional safeguards to enhance objectivity and transparency.
10 C
