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Congress MLA and Leader of Opposition in the Rajasthan Assembly Tikaram Jully on Monday claimed that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led Central government is "trying to loot the wealth of the state," by reclassifying the definition of the Aravalli hills.
Earlier, Union Environment Minister Bhupendra Yadav had dismissed such claims, saying that less than 1 per cent of the Aravalli range will be open for mining, and that too will be allowed only after the government forms a Mining Plan for Sustainable Mining (MPSM) for the entire region. "90 per cent of Aravalli hills in Rajasthan are less than 100 meters in height. Please inform and tell us which hill will come under this scope and which one will not. You should also put out an advertisement specifying which hills will fall under this category and which ones will not," the Congress leader told ANI. "You want to loot the wealth of Rajasthan, and we will not let that happen. We will launch a public movement against this," he added. However, the central government has denied such claims, and assured that a majority of the hills will remain protected. Out of 277.89 sq km, about 0.19 per cent, of the total Aravalli landscape is open to mining, and no new mining leases will be granted until a detailed scientific study is completed, according to Union Minister Bhupendra Yadav. Addressing a press conference to allay concerns over the revised definition, Yadav said the Modi government remains firmly committed to the Green Aravalli mission and that fears of large-scale ecological dilution are misplaced. "This definition related to the Aravalli hills is applicable only for mining purposes. It will be used solely in the context of mining. Mining is permitted only in 277.89 sq km out of the total 1,43,577 sq km of the Aravalli area," Yadav said. The Environment Minister, however, declined to comment on any timeline for the report being prepared by the Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education (ICFRE), which is mandatory before any fresh mining lease can be considered. "The matter is in court. I cannot comment on the timeline as of now," he added. Yadav's remarks come amid sharp political criticism following the Supreme Court's acceptance of the Centre's definition of the Aravalli hills and its approval of recommendations for sustainable mining. The opposition has alleged that the move would benefit mining interests, an allegation the minister categorically rejected. Yadav said mining activity in the Aravalli range would be allowed only in a very limited area, stressing that the mountain range continues to enjoy robust ecological protection. He also said that the apex court had appreciated the government's Green Aravalli movement. The Union Environment Ministry has also issued a detailed clarification, stating that no new mining leases will be allowed until a comprehensive study is undertaken, in line with the Supreme Court's November 20 order. The Supreme Court has directed the Environment Ministry to prepare a Mining Plan for Sustainable Mining (MPSM) for the entire Aravalli range before granting any new leases. With the definition now operational, the court has ordered that no fresh mining leases be issued until the MPSM is finalised, a move officials say acts as a preventive shield against immediate ecological damage. The approach, the government says, ensures landscape-level conservation by treating the Aravallis as a continuous geological ridge, preventing fragmentation, protecting groundwater recharge zones, checking desertification from the Thar, conserving biodiversity habitats, and safeguarding the Delhi-NCR region's critical green lungs. (ANI)
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