In a significant clarification aimed at ending confusion, Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav stated on Monday that no new mining leases can be granted in the Aravali hills and ranges until a final management plan for the entire landscape is in place. This announcement comes a day after the ministry explained that only a minuscule 0.19% of the Aravali's total 1.44 lakh sq km area could potentially be eligible for mining activities.
Strict Safeguards and a Halt on New Leases
Minister Yadav emphasised that all existing mines must operate under stringent safeguards set by a central committee. The decisive move to pause new leasing will remain until the Management Plan for Sustainable Mining (MPSM) for the entire Aravalis is finalised, as directed by the Supreme Court. Yadav labelled protests against the government's latest step as a "misinformed campaign" based on a wrong interpretation of facts.
He strongly rebutted claims that the recent Supreme Court-adopted definition relaxes mining restrictions. "The definition adopted by the court does not relax any existing restrictions. Instead, it provides additional safeguards through standardised and technically validated basis for regulation, supported by enhanced oversight and scientific planning," Yadav asserted.
The Science Behind the 100-Metre Threshold
Last month, the Supreme Court accepted recommendations from a central committee, headed by the Union Environment Secretary, for a uniform policy-level definition of the Aravali hills. The court agreed that all landforms within the lowest binding contour encircling hills of 100 metres or more are excluded from mining lease grants, regardless of their individual height or slope.
Explaining the rationale for the 100-metre benchmark, Yadav said the panel relied on the globally accepted scientific standard—Richard Murphy's Landform Classification of 1968. This classification identifies a landform rising 100 metres above the local relief as a hill and prohibits mining on both the hill and its supporting slopes.
Countering Misinformation and Political Allegations
The minister directly accused the Congress party of spreading "lies" and "confusion" regarding the issue. He stated there is no basis for concluding that 90% of the Aravalis has been opened for mining when the MPSM is yet to be prepared as per the Supreme Court's November 20 order.
"The Congress, which allowed rampant illegal mining in Rajasthan during its tenure, is spreading confusion, misinformation and lies about the issue," Yadav alleged. The Supreme Court, in its November order, also directed the environment ministry to prepare the MPSM through the Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education (ICFRE), modelled on a similar plan for Jharkhand's Saranda forests.
Currently, mining leases cover only 277 square kilometres of the nearly 1.44 lakh sq km Aravali landscape. The dominant land use across the 37 districts within the Aravali range remains cultivation and agriculture, accounting for approximately 55% of the total geographical area.
