New Delhi: New Delhi: Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Bhupender Yadav said on Tuesday that misinformation was being spread about the Supreme Court’s decision on the Aravalli Hills, and asserted that the Central government has always promoted the protection of the country’s oldest mountain range.
The Aravalli has been the subject of a controversy following a Supreme Court order to exclude hills below 100 metres from the legal definition of the Aravalli range. It sparked protests from the Opposition and an outcry online that the new definition could strip protection from nearly 90% of the hills, opening doors for large-scale mining.
The Environment minister said that he had studied the judgment in detail, and the Supreme Court held that the Aravalli range in Delhi, Gujarat and Rajasthan must be conserved through scientific assessment.
Yadav claimed that the government has always encouraged a “green Aravalli” under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
On the top court’s “100-metre” criterion, the minister said it refers to measurement from the top to the bottom of a hill, and stressed that mining is not permitted in the NCR region.
Yadav pointed out that the court has constituted a technical committee for the purpose of examining mining-related issues.
The judgment, Yadav said, has clearly defined the issue with Paragraph 38 stating that no new mining lease will be granted except in cases of critical need.
He assured that the mountain range remains under robust ecological protection as mining activity will be allowed in a mere “0.19 per cent of the area”.
“Mining activity in the Aravalli range will only be possible in 0.19 per cent of the area, which is less than one per cent, and even there, no new mines have been opened… This process has been made stricter. The main problem in the Aravalli range is illegal mining. To stop illegal mining, the Supreme Court has given this definition, and a review is still pending before it. With this comprehensive definition and strict provisions, 90 per cent of the area is completely protected,” Yadav said in an interview with ANI.
Noting that the Aravalli range is ecologically important as it is home to 20 wildlife sanctuaries and four tiger reserves, Yadav said the Supreme Court has recommended a plan for scientific management of the Aravalli hills.
The Environment minister made the comments a day after the Central government released a comprehensive factsheet that mentioned the ‘Operational Definitions’ of the Aravalli Hills and the Aravalli Range.
Protests in Rajasthan, Haryana
Social and environmental organisations staged protests in Rajasthan and Haryana on Monday, demanding stronger protection for the Aravalli range.
Protesters clashed with police outside the district collectorate in Udaipur, where some agitators were detained. There were demonstrations in Sikar, Jodhpur and Alwar as well, PTI reported.
Congress workers joined in the protests at some places, raising slogans and accusing authorities of weakening legal safeguards for the Aravallis, PT
