New Delhi: The Centre on Wednesday made a significant move to address concerns over mining in Aravalli hills following the recent Supreme Court order.
The Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change directed all concerned states to impose a complete ban on grant of any new mining lease across the Aravalli range, which stretches from Delhi to Gujarat.
The ministry said the ban, which applies uniformly across the entire Arava
lli landscape, is aimed at preserving the integrity of the ecologically fragile ancient geological range by curbing illegal and unregulated mining activities.
The government has also directed the Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education (ICFRE) to identify additional areas across the Aravalli hills where mining should be prohibited, besides the zones already barred by the Centre.
ICFRE has been asked to prepare a comprehensive, science-based Management Plan for Sustainable Mining (MPSM) for the entire Aravalli landscape.
The plan will assess overall environmental impact and ecological carrying capacity, identify conservation-critical and ecologically sensitive areas and outline measures for restoration and rehabilitation.
Once the draft plan is drawn up, it will be placed in public domain for consultation of stakeholders.