Union Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister Bhupinder Yadav, reacting to the “Save Aravali” campaign after the Supreme Court accepted the Centre’s definition of the Aravalli Hills, said the process against illegal mining has been tightened and the Supreme Court has given this definition with the intention of stopping illegal mining.
In an interview with ANI, he emphasized that mining activity will be allowed only in 0.19 per cent of the area in the Aravalli range, which is less than one per cent, and no new mines have been opened in that area too. The Union Minister also said that about 90 percent of the Aravalli region is protected. The Union Minister also highlighted that, there is a need for a scientific management plan to carry out mining in these areas. He said that if any new approval comes, it should first be approved by the Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education (ICFRE).
“Mining activity in the Aravalli range will be possible only in 0.19 per cent area, which is less than one per cent, and even there no new mines have been opened…There also it has been said that scientific planning for its management should be done and if any new approval comes, that new approval should first be given permission from ICFRE. …This process has been made strict. The main problem in the Aravalli range is illegal mining. The Supreme Court has given this definition to stop illegal mining. “With this broad definition and strict provisions, 90 per cent of the area is completely protected,” Union Minister Bhupinder Yadav said.
The minister emphasized that they have established 29 nurseries in the Aravalli range and plan to expand them to every district. “There can be no alternative; therefore, the Aravalli mountain range needs conservation. Merely planting trees around is not enough; this ecology includes grasses, shrubs and medicinal plants, which are part of an ecological system and the International Big Cat Alliance created by our Ministry. Therefore, the Big Cat Alliance does not just mean that we conserve tigers. But a tiger can only survive in one place if its prey and the entire ecosystem that supports it is also present. And Deer and other animals will survive only if there is grass and other vegetation for them. That’s why we have established more than 29 nurseries, and we plan to expand them in every district. We have studied the local flora of the entire Aravalli range, and the ecosystem includes everything from small grasses to big trees,” he said.
The government clearly says that there is no imminent threat to the ecology of Aravali. Ongoing afforestation, eco-sensitive area notifications, and strict monitoring of mining and urban activities ensure that the Aravalis continue to serve as a natural heritage and ecological shield for the country.
In an interview with ANI, Union Environment Minister Bhupendra Yadav on Monday highlighted the need to protect the Aravalli mountain ranges, mentioning that “there can be no alternative at all.” Highlighting the geological importance of the Aravalis and how to maintain and protect them, Yadav said, “In the Aravalis, there are the oldest geological units, but to maintain its form, its protecting wall is green fall. Not just planting trees around. Nature is what it is, it is ecology. In nature, there are grasses. In nature, there are bushes. In nature, there are vegetation and medicines. It is an ecosystem.”
In addition, he considered the role of the International Black Cat Alliance, established by the Ministry of the Environment. “Big Cat Alliance does not mean that we only do tiger conservation. We do conservation, but a tiger can live in any place only if the prey is beneath it, the ecosystem is beneath it. And the ecosystem, deer etc. will survive only if there is grass etc. for them,” said Bhupendra Yadav.
He said that, through the alliance, they have set up more than 29 nurseries and aim to take them to every district in the country. Rejecting afforestation as a solution to the matter, the minister said, “We have studied what is the local vegetation of every district of the entire Aravalli, what are the local trees and in the trees and vegetation comes the entire ecosystem, from a small grass to a big tree. So I don’t just talk about trees, I talk about ecology.”
Amid ongoing protests in several areas of North India after the Supreme Court recently accepted the Union Environment Ministry’s definition of the Aravalli Hills, the Center has said that the Aravalli Hills will remain under strong ecological protection while balancing conservation with responsible development.
According to a government press release, “Under the approved framework, any landform rising 100 meters or more above the local relief will be classified as ‘Aravalli Hills’, including its tributary slopes and associated landforms. Furthermore, two or more such hills located within 500 meters of each other will constitute an “Aravalli Range”, protecting not only the major peaks, but also valleys, slopes and smaller hills. Which will ensure that they form an integrated ecosystem.
The statement said, “Contrary to alarmist claims, there is no imminent threat to the ecology of the Aravalis. Ongoing afforestation, eco-sensitive area notifications, and strict monitoring of mining and urban activities ensure that the Aravalis continue to serve as a natural heritage and ecological shield for the country. India’s resolve is clear: the Aravalis will be protected for present and future generations while balancing conservation with responsible development.”
In a recent judgment delivered in November, the top court supported the recommendations of a committee constituted under the leadership of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) in May 2024 to formulate a uniform policy definition of Aravali for mining regulation. The committee included secretaries of the forest departments of Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan and Gujarat as well as representatives of the Forest Survey of India, the Central Empowered Committee and the Geological Survey of India.
The Supreme Court reiterated the ecological importance of the Aravalli Range as one of the oldest geological formations of India, and highlighted its role in preventing desertification, recharging groundwater and maintaining biodiversity across northern and western India. It cautioned that unregulated mining poses a “serious threat to the country’s ecology”.
The government said this definition is based on Rajasthan’s long-standing criteria, in place since 2006, while also introducing greater fairness, transparency and conservation focus. All Aravalli hills and ranges will be mandatorily marked on the Survey of India toposheet, core and intact areas will be clearly identified, and scientific criteria will guide decision making on permitted activities.
“The Supreme Court has accepted the recommendations of the committee to prohibit mining in the core and virgin areas, except critical, strategic and nuclear minerals, as specified under the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act. It also directed the MoEFCC to prepare a Comprehensive Management Plan for Sustainable Mining (MPSM) for the entire Aravalli landscape through the Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education (ICFRE) on the lines of the Saranda Forest Mining Scheme,” the release said. Has given.”
Importantly, the court has ordered an interim stay on the grant of new mining leases in Aravali till the MPSM is finalised. It said existing mines can continue to operate only under strict compliance with sustainable mining norms and enhanced monitoring to curb illegal mining. According to the government, the landscape-level approach will help preserve the Aravali’s role as a natural barrier against the Thar Desert, protect groundwater recharge areas, preserve biodiversity corridors and protect the “green lungs” of the Delhi-NCR region.
Dismissing concerns of immediate ecological threat, the press release said afforestation drives, eco-sensitive area notifications and strong enforcement mechanisms including drones, CCTV surveillance and district task forces are already in place. The government reaffirmed its commitment to balancing conservation with responsible development, saying that the Aravalli Hills will be protected for future generations through transparent, science-based regulation.
Addressing the media in West Bengal’s South 24 Parganas on Sunday, Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Bhupendra Yadav also strongly rejected allegations that the Center has watered down protection for the Aravalli hills, saying about 90 per cent of the Aravalli landscape will remain under protected area and mining will be allowed only in a very limited area under the strict scrutiny of the Supreme Court.
While the Center says the order strengthens monitoring and curbs illegal mining, the Congress says the revised framework undermines the long-term protection of the ancient Aravalli range and has vowed to continue its agitation both on the streets and in Parliament. Addressing a press conference in Jaipur on Sunday, former Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot accused the BJP of trying to “endanger the future of Rajasthan” by reducing the protection of the Aravalli ranges, which he described as the ecological lifeline of the state. He alleged that the move was aimed at benefiting the mining mafia and was contrary to judicial orders and established government records.
