Centre imposes complete ban on new mining leases in Aravalli

Ongoing mining activities are to be regulated stringently, with additional restrictions, to ensure environmental protection and adherence to sustainable mining practices.

New Delhi: Amid the ongoing controversy on the protection of the Aravalli hills, the Union Environment Ministry on Wednesday said directions have been issued to the States “for a complete ban on the grant of any new mining leases in the Aravallis” till new sustainable mining plans are prepared as per the Supreme Court’s direction.

The ministry wrote to Rajasthan, Gujarat and Haryana governments directing them not to issue any new mining leases till the Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education finalises the scientific management plans and follow strict environment protocols for operational mines.

The communication to States comes a month after the top court told the government to stop all new mining leases and carry out a detailed exercise by the ICFRE for sustainable mining plans in the lines of what was undertaken for Saranda Wildlife Sanctuary in Jharkhand.

Dehradun-based ICFRE has also been asked by the ministry to identify additional areas in the entire Aravallis, where mining should be prohibited, over and above the areas already prohibited for mining by the Centre, based on ecological, geological and landscape-level considerations.

“This prohibition applies uniformly across the entire Aravalli landscape and is intended to preserve the integrity of the range. The directions are aimed at safeguarding the Aravallis as a continuous geological ridge extending from Gujarat to the National Capital Region, and at stopping all unregulated mining activities,” the ministry said in a statement.

Currently mining is prohibited in protected areas including four tiger reserves and 22 wildlife sanctuaries; eco-sensitive zones; buffer areas, wetlands and in areas where plantation have been raised. Also mining is banned in all the districts falling within the National Capital Region.

“The ICFRE has been directed to prepare a comprehensive, science-based Management Plan for Sustainable Mining (MPSM) for the entire Aravalli region,” the ministry said.

“The plan will be placed in the public domain for wide stakeholder consultation. It will assess the cumulative environmental impact and ecological carrying capacity, identify ecologically sensitive and conservation-critical areas, and lay down measures for restoration and rehabilitation.”

The ministry’s letters to States and ICFRE come at a time when there is a raging debate between the Narendra Modi government and opposition parties like Congress and Samajwadi Party, as well as environmentalists who raised questions on the extent of protection for one of the world’s oldest mountain ranges under a new definition of Aravalli hills and ranges, accepted by the top court.