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'Road to hell is paved with good intentions': Congress slams government over new Aravalli definition

NEW DELHI: The Congress on Thursday slammed the Modi government over the Environment Ministry reportedly recommending a new definition of Aravalli Hills, saying this will have very grave environmental and public health consequences, and calls for an immediate review. Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh claimed that the new definition is meant to restrict mining but in reality would mean that 90 per cent of the Aravalli Hills would not be counted as Aravalli any more. The Aravalli Hills extend from Delhi through Haryana and Rajasthan to Gujarat. Over the years they have been devastated by mining, construction, and other activities in violation of all regulations and laws, the former environment minister said on X. Now it appears that this sensitive and sprawling ecosystem will be subject to another severe blow, he said. According to an informed news report in the Indian Express, the Union Ministry of Environment, Forests, and Climate Change has recommended to the Supreme Court a new definition of Aravalli Hills. This definition is meant to restrict mining but in reality will mean that 90% of the Aravalli Hills will not be counted as Aravalli any more, Ramesh said. Evidently, the Supreme Court has accepted this revised definition, he said. This is bizarre and will have very grave environmental and public health consequences. It calls for an immediate review, he said. The road to hell is indeed paved with good intentions, Ramesh said. The Congress leader also shared the screenshot of the media report which said that on November 20, the Supreme Court accepted the recommendations of a Union Environment Ministry panel on the definition of Aravalli Hills ostensibly to restrict mining. As part of the definition, any landform that is at an elevation of 100 metres or more above the local relief will be considered as part of Aravalli Hills along with its slopes and adjacent land. The media report claimed that what the panel did not mention was that by this definition, more than 90% of the Aravali Hills will not be counted as Aravalli anymore and be potentially open to mining and construction with severe environmental ramifications, including the quality of air in the National Capital Region.