Centre rejects allegations, says 90% of Aravalli area under protected zone - 'Mining would remain tightly regulated'

Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister Bhupendra Yadav strongly asserted that nearly 90% of the Aravalli landscape will remain under the protected zone, rejecting all allegations that the Centre has diluted protections for the Aravalli hills. Mining will be permitted only in a minimal area, subject to strict Supreme Court scrutiny.

Referring to the recent controversy that erupted over Supreme Court's recent order on the mountain range, Yadav said, “There are no relaxations on the Aravalli. The Aravalli range spans four states: Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan, and Gujarat. A petition regarding it has been pending in court since 1985,” as per a report by ANI.

He stressed that only 2% of the mountain range spanning about 1.47 lakh square kilometres was eligible for mining.

Yadav sheds light on ‘100 metre’ definition

Shedding light on the "100-metre" definition, Bhupendra Yadav said misinformation was being spread. He claimed that some YouTube channels had misinterpreted 100 metres as referring to the top portion of the hills, which was incorrect.

“Some YouTube channels misinterpret the 100 metre range as the top 100 metres, which is not true. The 100 metres refers to the spread of the hill from top to bottom, and a gap between two ranges will also be considered part of the Aravalli range. With this definition, 90 per cent of the area comes under the protected zone,” said Yadav.

'Aravalli Hills' protests

Yadav's comment comes after the new definition of what constitutes the Aravalli hills sparked protests from Haryana’s Gurugram to Rajasthan’s Udaipur, with environmental activists fearing that the changed definition could prove detrimental to the ecological balance of one of the country's oldest mountain ranges.

According to the new definition, "Aravalli Hill is any landform in designated Aravalli districts with an elevation of 100 metres or more above its local relief" and an "Aravalli Range is a collection of two or more such hills within 500 metres of each other".

On 20 November, the Supreme Court accepted the Centre's definition of the Aravalli hills and approved recommendations for sustainable mining. The apex court also directed the environment ministry to prepare a detailed Management Plan for Sustainable Mining to identify permissible zones, protect ecologically sensitive areas and prevent illegal mining across the Aravalli landscape.

‘Nearly 2% eligible for mining’

Yadav underlined that mining would remain tightly regulated. "Mark my words, the total Aravalli area is about 1.47 lakh square kilometres. Only around 217 square kilometres, nearly 2%, is eligible for mining. Even so, the Supreme Court has directed that a Management Plan for Sustainable Mining be prepared. After that, permission from ICFRE will be required before any activity can proceed," he said.

He further stressed that mining in the Delhi Aravalli is completely prohibited. "All protected areas and forest reserves will remain as they are in Delhi. Our government has been running a Green Aravalli programme for the past two years. We are very considerate about the Aravalli, and a false narrative is being created," Yadav added.

Echoing the Centre's position, Rajasthan Deputy Chief Minister Prem Chand Bairwa said that around 98% of the Aravalli area in Rajasthan, Haryana and Gujarat is already protected. "The remaining one to two per cent will not cause any harm to Rajasthan," he said.