New Delhi: In a decisive move to curb illegal mining and strengthen ecological protection, the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has directed state governments to impose a “complete ban on the grant of any new mining leases in the Aravallis”, covering the entire mountain range from Delhi to Gujarat.
The move is being seen as one of the strongest policy interventions in recent years aimed at preserving the Aravallis, one of the oldest and most ecologically sensitive mountain systems in the country.
The Ministry said the prohibition will apply uniformly across the entire Aravalli landscape, underscoring that the objective is to “preserve the integrity of the range as a continuous geological ridge” extending from Gujarat to the National Capital Region and to bring an end to all unregulated mining activities.
Further tightening the conservation framework, the MoEF&CC has instructed the Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education (ICFRE) to identify additional areas and zones across the entire Aravalli range where mining must be prohibited, over and above the areas already restricted by the Centre.
The identification will be carried out based on ecological, geological and landscape-level considerations, the Ministry said. ICFRE has also been tasked with preparing a comprehensive, science-based Management Plan for Sustainable Mining (MPSM) for the entire Aravalli region.
Reaffirming its long-term commitment, the government of India stated that it remains “fully committed towards the protection of the Aravalli ecosystem,” recognizing the range’s critical role in preventing desertification, conserving biodiversity, recharging aquifers, and providing essential environmental services to the region.
