Centre bans new mining leases in Aravallis; Congress calls move ‘damage control’

The Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change on December 24 announced a complete ban on the grant of new mining leases across the entire Aravalli range, describing it as a major step towards conservation and long-term protection of one of India’s oldest mountain systems. 

The Centre also said the protected zone in the Aravallis would be expanded to curb illegal and unregulated mining.

In directions issued to state governments, the ministry said the prohibition on new mining leases would apply across the Aravalli landscape stretching from Gujarat to the National Capital Region. The move, it said, is aimed at preserving the integrity of the range as a continuous geological ridge and safeguarding its ecological, geological and landscape values.

The ministry further directed the Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education to identify additional areas within the Aravallis where mining should be prohibited, over and above the zones already barred by the Centre. This exercise will feed into a comprehensive, science-based Management Plan for Sustainable Mining for the region, which will be placed in the public domain for stakeholder consultation. The plan will assess cumulative environmental impacts, ecological carrying capacity and conservation priorities, while outlining restoration and rehabilitation measures.

The Centre also instructed states to ensure strict compliance with environmental safeguards for existing mining operations, in line with Supreme Court orders, and to regulate ongoing mining with additional restrictions to ensure environmental protection and adherence to sustainable practices. The government reiterated its commitment to the long-term protection of the Aravalli ecosystem, citing its critical role in preventing desertification, conserving biodiversity and recharging aquifers.

However, the announcement drew sharp criticism from Congress leader Jairam Ramesh, who termed the move a “bogus attempt at damage control”. Ramesh said the government’s statements amounted to “pious proclamations” and argued that the controversial redefinition of the Aravallis beyond 100 metres, which he said had been rejected by the Forest Survey of India, the Supreme Court-mandated Central Empowered Committee and the Supreme Court’s amicus curiae, remains unchanged.

He maintained that without rolling back the redefinition, the Centre’s claims of protecting the Aravallis would not be credible, accusing the government of attempting to deflect criticism without addressing the core issue.