Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray on Tuesday slammed the BJP-led Centre over the Aravalli Hills row, accusing it of trying to damage India's environment. He called it shameful that the Union Environment Minister defended the proposed destruction of the Aravalli Hills. In a post on X, Aaditya Thackeray wrote, "It's shameful to see the Environment Minister of the Union Government defend the proposed destruction of the Aravalli Hills! Firstly why lie about it at all after being exposed? Then even if it's a fraction of the Aravalli Hills, why open it up for Mining? Why is the bjp so determined to destroy every bit of India's ecology, just like they are destroying our social fabric?"
"Today it's the Aravalli Hills, tomorrow they will open up the Western Ghats or the Himalayas for mining! Truly inspiring to see the way Rajasthan has come out on the streets, as a whole, to defend the Aravalli Hills. The government must now double down on protection for our natural resources- but that hope, is not from the current regime!" the post reads. A day earlier, Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Bhupender Yadav, assured that mining is not allowed in the NCR region. He further noted that the issues related to the Green Aravalli have seen significant growth over the past few years under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Statistically speaking, Yadav said that compared to 2014, when there were only 24 Ramsar sites in the country, now the number has climbed upto 96, underlining that Ramsar sites of Sultanpur, Bhindawas, Asola, Siliserh, and Sambhar in the Aravalli region were declared during the BJP government's tenure.
"Under the leadership of the Prime Minister, the Green Aravalli Movement and issues related to Green Aravalli have been advanced in recent years. This is why, in 2014, there were only 24 Ramsar sites in this country; the number has now increased to 96, and among these, the Ramsar sites of Sultanpur, Bhindawas, Asola, Siliserh, and Sambhar in the Aravalli region were declared during our government's tenure..." he said. He also noted that the judgment regarding Aravalli Hills states protection, especially in Delhi, Haryana, Gujarat, and Rajasthan.
"The judgment also stated that steps should be taken for the conservation of the Aravalli range, especially in the areas of Delhi, Haryana, Gujarat, and Rajasthan, for its conservation and preservation..." Yadav said. The Supreme Court accepted the Centre's definition of the Aravalli hills, which states that "any hills in the range with an elevation of less than 100 metres are not subject to the strictures against mining."
The apex court also accepted the recommendations for sustainable mining in the Aravalli Hills and the steps to be taken for preventing illegal mining. The Aravalli range is a 670-kilometre-long mountain range in northwestern India. The highest elevation of the range has been recorded at 1,722 metres. The hill starts near Delhi, passes through Haryana, Rajasthan, and ends in Gujarat. The highest peak of the range is known as Guru Shikhar, in Mount Abu, Rajasthan.
The Aravalli range is the oldest fold-mountain belt in India, dating back around 2 billion years. (ANI)