New Delhi, Dec 24 In a decisive move to curb illegal mining and strengthen ecological protection, the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) has directed state governments to impose a “complete ban on the grant of any new mining leases in the Aravallis”, covering the entire mountain range from Delhi to Gujarat.
The Ministry said the prohibition will apply uniformly across the entire Aravalli landscape, underscoring that the objective is to “preserve the integrity of the range as a continuous geological ridge” extending from Gujarat to the National Capital Region and to bring an end to all unregulated mining activities.
Further tightening the conservation framework, the MoEF&CC has instructed the Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education (ICFRE) to identify additional areas and zones across the entire Aravalli range where mining must be prohibited, over and above the areas already restricted by the Centre.
The identification will be carried out based on ecological, geological and landscape-level considerations, the Ministry said.
ICFRE has also been tasked with preparing a comprehensive, science-based Management Plan for Sustainable Mining (MPSM) for the entire Aravalli region.
According to the Ministry, the plan will be placed “in the public domain for wide stakeholder consultation” and will assess cumulative environmental impacts, ecological carrying capacity, conservation-critical and ecologically sensitive areas, while also outlining measures for restoration and rehabilitation.
Officials said this exercise will “further enlarge the coverage of areas protected and prohibited from mining in the entire Aravallis”, taking into account local topography, ecology and biodiversity.
For mines that are already operational, the Centre has directed State Governments to ensure “strict compliance with all environmental safeguards and in conformity with the Supreme Court’s order.”
The Ministry added that ongoing mining activities will be regulated stringently, with additional restrictions to ensure environmental protection and adherence to sustainable mining practices.
Reaffirming its long-term commitment, the government of India stated that it remains “fully committed towards the protection of the Aravalli ecosystem,” recognising the range’s critical role in preventing desertification, conserving biodiversity, recharging aquifers and providing essential environmental services to the region.
The move is being seen as one of the strongest policy interventions in recent years aimed at preserving the Aravallis, one of the oldest and most ecologically sensitive mountain systems in the country.
--IANS
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