In a significant move to safeguard one of India’s oldest mountain ranges, the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) has issued directives imposing a complete ban on granting any new mining leases across the entire Aravalli landscape, spanning from Gujarat through Rajasthan, Haryana, and up to the National Capital Region in Delhi.
The decision aims to preserve the Aravallis as a vital continuous geological ridge that plays a crucial role in preventing desertification from the Thar Desert, conserving biodiversity, recharging groundwater aquifers, and providing essential environmental services to millions in the region.
According to the official directions released by PIB Delhi, this uniform prohibition on fresh mining permits applies to the whole Aravalli ecosystem, putting an end to unregulated and illegal mining activities that have long threatened its integrity.
To further strengthen protections, the MoEF&CC has tasked the Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education (ICFRE) with identifying additional ecologically sensitive zones where mining should be prohibited. This exercise will go beyond existing restricted areas and consider factors such as local topography, geology, biodiversity, and landscape-level impacts.
The ICFRE’s work will form part of a comprehensive, science-based Management Plan for Sustainable Mining (MPSM) covering the entire Aravalli region. The plan will evaluate cumulative environmental impacts, assess the area’s ecological carrying capacity, pinpoint conservation-critical zones, and outline robust measures for restoration and rehabilitation of degraded sites. Once drafted, the MPSM will be released for public consultation to incorporate stakeholder inputs.
This initiative is expected to significantly enlarge the protected and no-mining areas in the Aravallis, ensuring long-term sustainability.
For operational mines, the Centre has mandated strict adherence to environmental safeguards and compliance with Supreme Court orders. State governments must regulate ongoing activities rigorously, imposing additional restrictions to prioritise ecological protection and sustainable practices.
The Government of India reiterated its unwavering commitment to the Aravalli ecosystem, emphasising its indispensable role in combating climate challenges and supporting regional ecology.
Environmentalists have welcomed the move as a proactive step towards halting degradation, though they call for vigilant implementation to curb illegal operations effectively.
This directive marks a pivotal advancement in conserving the ancient Aravalli Range, often hailed as North India’s “green lung” and natural shield against arid expansion.
