<p>Aravalli range which is located in the northewestern part of India, has been in the news of late after Supreme Court's ruling on November 20 in the long running case regarding illegal mining and its environmental protection. </p><p>The Aravalli is the oldest mountain range in India, with its formation dating back nearly 2 billion years. The range stretching from Delhi through Rajasthan to Gujarat, the Aravalli is now largely eroded.</p>.Centre rejects mining push charge behind Aravalli definition change.<p>Sources in the Environment Ministry said the Supreme Court, while hearing long-pending cases on illegal mining in the Aravallis, had constituted a committee in May 2024 to recommend a "uniform definition", as different states were following inconsistent criteria while granting mining permissions.</p><p>The committee, chaired by the Environment Ministry secretary and comprising representatives from Rajasthan, Haryana, Gujarat, and Delhi along with technical bodies, found that only Rajasthan had a formally established definition, which it has been following since 2006.</p><p>As per the new definition now, "Aravalli hill is any landform in the designated Aravalli districts with an elevation of 100M or more above its local relief, and an Aravalli range is a collection of two or more such hills within 500M of each other".</p><p>Following the judgement environmentalists and citizen groups staged protests. </p><p>However on Sunday (December 21), asserting that 90 per cent of the Aravalli region will <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/india/centre-rejects-mining-push-charge-behind-aravalli-definition-change-3838621">remain "protected"</a>, the Centre rejected claims that the new definition of the Aravalli range will allow large-scale mining and cited a Supreme Court-ordered freeze on new mining leases in the region.</p><p>It said a Supreme Court-approved framework provides for stronger protection of the mountain system and places a freeze on new mining leases until a comprehensive management plan is finalised.</p><p>Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav said that the newly approved definition will bring more than 90 per cent of the Aravalli region under "protected area."</p><p>When the new definition was recommended, the Congress slammed the Modi government, saying this will have "very grave environmental and public health consequences", and called for an immediate review.</p>.<p>"This definition is meant to restrict mining but in reality will mean that 90% of the Aravalli Hills will not be counted as Aravalli any more. Evidently, the Supreme Court has accepted this revised definition. This is bizarre and will have very grave environmental and public health consequences. It calls for an immediate review," senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh posted on X.</p><p><em>(With PTI inputs)</em></p>
<p>Aravalli range which is located in the northewestern part of India, has been in the news of late after Supreme Court's ruling on November 20 in the long running case regarding illegal mining and its environmental protection. </p><p>The Aravalli is the oldest mountain range in India, with its formation dating back nearly 2 billion years. The range stretching from Delhi through Rajasthan to Gujarat, the Aravalli is now largely eroded.</p>.Centre rejects mining push charge behind Aravalli definition change.<p>Sources in the Environment Ministry said the Supreme Court, while hearing long-pending cases on illegal mining in the Aravallis, had constituted a committee in May 2024 to recommend a "uniform definition", as different states were following inconsistent criteria while granting mining permissions.</p><p>The committee, chaired by the Environment Ministry secretary and comprising representatives from Rajasthan, Haryana, Gujarat, and Delhi along with technical bodies, found that only Rajasthan had a formally established definition, which it has been following since 2006.</p><p>As per the new definition now, "Aravalli hill is any landform in the designated Aravalli districts with an elevation of 100M or more above its local relief, and an Aravalli range is a collection of two or more such hills within 500M of each other".</p><p>Following the judgement environmentalists and citizen groups staged protests. </p><p>However on Sunday (December 21), asserting that 90 per cent of the Aravalli region will <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/india/centre-rejects-mining-push-charge-behind-aravalli-definition-change-3838621">remain "protected"</a>, the Centre rejected claims that the new definition of the Aravalli range will allow large-scale mining and cited a Supreme Court-ordered freeze on new mining leases in the region.</p><p>It said a Supreme Court-approved framework provides for stronger protection of the mountain system and places a freeze on new mining leases until a comprehensive management plan is finalised.</p><p>Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav said that the newly approved definition will bring more than 90 per cent of the Aravalli region under "protected area."</p><p>When the new definition was recommended, the Congress slammed the Modi government, saying this will have "very grave environmental and public health consequences", and called for an immediate review.</p>.<p>"This definition is meant to restrict mining but in reality will mean that 90% of the Aravalli Hills will not be counted as Aravalli any more. Evidently, the Supreme Court has accepted this revised definition. This is bizarre and will have very grave environmental and public health consequences. It calls for an immediate review," senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh posted on X.</p><p><em>(With PTI inputs)</em></p>
