No new Aravalli mining leases: Centre amid row

The Union environment ministry on Wednesday directed Haryana, Rajasthan and Gujarat to enforce a strict ban on new mining leases across the Aravalli range, a direction that experts said is part of complying with a Supreme Court order in November to halt expansion until a comprehensive management blueprint for what is a critical mountain range in the region is finalised.

- Jayashree Nandi

In a statement issued on Wednesday, the ministry said it has instructed the Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education (ICFRE) to prepare a Management Plan for Sustainable Mining (MPSM) for the entire geological ridge, which extends from Gujarat to the National Capital Region. The directions implement the apex court's November 20 judgment requiring a freeze on new leases until the plan is ready, and are aimed at stopping all unregulated mining activities across the range.

The ministry's directive mandates that the MPSM must identify specific zones where mining remains strictly prohibited based on ecological sensitivity and conservation priorities, while assessing the cumulative environmental impact and determining the region's ecological carrying capacity.

The plan will also outline restoration measures for areas damaged by previous unregulated activity.

Once prepared, the plan will be placed in the public domain for wide stakeholder consultation.

ICFRE has additionally been tasked with identifying "no-go" zones beyond those already prohibited by the Centre to ensure the geological continuity of the ridge is preserved. "This exercise by the Centre would further enlarge the coverage of areas protected and prohibited from mining in the entire Aravallis, keeping in mind the local topography, ecology and biodiversity," the ministry said.

Forest analyst Chetan Agarwal, however, dismissed the government's announcement as "old wine in new bottles," arguing that the ministry is merely restating obligations already legally imposed by the court.