All posts tagged: Aravallis

Amicus report to Supreme Court on 100-metre criterion for hills | Legal News

Amicus report to Supreme Court on 100-metre criterion for hills | Legal News

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THE OPPOSITION Congress recently attacked the BJP-led NDA government over the new definition of Aravallis, limiting the hills to landforms at an elevation of 100 metres or more, calling it a “death warrant” for the range. Now, a note submitted by the amicus curiae to the Supreme Court says it was the “state of Rajasthan” which “for the first time…gave a restrictive definition to the Aravallis, as only applying to those hills measuring above 100 metres” adding this was “to overcome” certain other orders of the court. According to the note, the decision dates back to February 2010, when Rajasthan was under a Congress government led by Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot. In his written submissions to the top court, which is seized of the issue of definition of Aravalli Hills, amicus Senior Advocate K Parameshwar said: “What is evident from the arguments is that in order to continue mining activities in areas which constituted the Aravalli Hills, the state of Rajasthan gave a restrictive definition to the Aravallis, as only applying to those hills measuring …

‘Loot & Plunder Of Natural Resources’: Punjab & Haryana HC Flags Illegal Stone Mining In Aravallis | India News

‘Loot & Plunder Of Natural Resources’: Punjab & Haryana HC Flags Illegal Stone Mining In Aravallis | India News

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Last Updated:February 02, 2026, 17:26 IST The case arose after residents and a stone crusher operator alleged that the private lessee, Jai Dada Dohla Stone Mines, had caused massive ecological destruction. The Aravalli range occupies a unique place in India’s ecological and cultural landscape. (Getty Images) The Punjab and Haryana High Court has slammed illegal stone mining in Haryana’s Charkhi Dadri district, calling it a “blatant violation of environment norms” and “loot and plunder of natural resources”. The court noted that the mining site in Pichopa Kalan lies within the ecologically sensitive Aravalli hills, which are crucial for environmental balance in the region. On Saturday, a Division Bench of Justices Ashwani Kumar Mishra and Rohit Kapoor expressed concern over indiscriminate mining beyond the approved 11-hectare area at Khasra Nos. 109 and 110, Indian Express reported. The court said the activity has “much wider ramifications for preservation of ecology and environment as well as for the larger public interest”. The case arose after local residents and a stone crusher operator alleged that the private lessee, Jai …

Illegal mining in Aravallis can cause irreversible damage, says SC

Illegal mining in Aravallis can cause irreversible damage, says SC

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Observing that illegal mining can lead to irreversible damage, the Supreme Court (SC) on Wednesday said it would constitute an expert committee of domain specialists to undertake a comprehensive examination of mining and related issues in the Aravalli hills, news agency PTI reported. A bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul M Pancholi directed Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati, acting as amicus curiae, to suggest the names of environmentalists and scientists with expertise in mining within four weeks so that the expert body could be constituted. “The committee will work under the direction and supervision of this Court,” the bench said. The apex court also extended its earlier order, which had kept in abeyance its November 20 directions accepting a uniform definition of Aravalli hills and ranges, PTI reported. During the hearing, the court was informed that illegal mining continues in scattered locations. The bench took on record the assurance of Additional Solicitor General KM Nataraj, representing the Rajasthan government, that no unauthorised mining would take place. The matter stems …

Razed Hills, Blinded Locals & Deaths: The Human Cost Of Illegal Mining In Aravallis | India News

Razed Hills, Blinded Locals & Deaths: The Human Cost Of Illegal Mining In Aravallis | India News

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Last Updated:December 27, 2025, 17:00 IST From blinded villagers to drying wells, illegal mining in the Aravallis is hollowing out hills and human lives in Rajasthan’s Jugrawar village Vijay Singh Meena lost his eyes when a sudden explosion buried them under heavy debris in the Aravallis. (News18) As one passes by a mustard field in Jugrawar village in Rajasthan’s Alwar, there stands a small open temple with cemented walls. Adjacent to the temple is a tiny 8×10 room that has walls made of huge pieces of locally sourced rocks, a slab used as a bench along the wall, a cot, an earthen pot for water and a transistor. This transistor is Vijay Singh Meena’s only window to the outer world. As he takes off the stole wrapped around his eyes, one can see his distorted face and empty eye sockets—remnants of what he lost almost eight years ago. On a pleasant winter morning in 2017, Meena and his neighbour had taken his herd of sheep for grazing over one of the hills very close to …

‘Every child knows…’: Sachin Pilot leads protest against illegal mining, says BJP govt endangering Aravallis | Jaipur News

‘Every child knows…’: Sachin Pilot leads protest against illegal mining, says BJP govt endangering Aravallis | Jaipur News

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Congress National General Secretary and former Rajasthan Deputy Chief Minister Sachin Pilot on Thursday accused the BJP-led government of endangering the Aravalli range and failing to curb illegal mining, saying the issue goes far beyond paperwork and court affidavits to what is visible on the ground. The protest also marked the first occasion on which Pilot participated in a political demonstration alongside his son, Araan Pilot, who joined him during the march. Addressing the “Save Aravalli, Save Future” foot march organised by the National Students’ Union of India (NSUI) Rajasthan in Jaipur, Pilot said the Aravalli range, spread across Rajasthan, Gujarat, Haryana and Delhi, acts as a natural shield for a large part of North India and is crucial for environmental balance and water security. He questioned the “compulsions” under which, he alleged, a mountain range thousands of years old was being pushed towards destruction. Speaking to The Indian Express, Pilot said illegal mining continues unabated at hundreds of locations in the Aravalli region despite official claims of strict action. “Every child knows illegal mining …

Congress alleges Aravallis opened to mining after Modi govt’s redefinition

Congress alleges Aravallis opened to mining after Modi govt’s redefinition

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The Congress on Thursday claimed that over 90 per cent of the Aravallis will not be protected under the redefinition of the hills and will open them up for mining and other activities. In a post on X, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said there is no connection between Prime Minister Narendra Modi`s “global talk and local walk” when it comes to environmental concerns. He also accused the government of launching a determined assault on ecological balance by weakening environmental protection laws and loosening pollution norms. Under the new definition, an “Aravalli Hill” is a landform with an elevation of at least 100 metres above its local surrounding terrain and an “Aravalli Range” is a cluster of two or more such hills within 500 metres of each other. “The Modi Sarkar is now going to protect only those Aravalli hills that are at a height of more than 100 metres. According to the Forest Survey of India`s data that is authoritative, only 8.7 per cent of the Aravalli hills exceed 100 metres,” Ramesh said. “This …

Entire Aravallis Will Be Protected; No New Mining Leases: Centre’s Big Move Amid Row | India News

Entire Aravallis Will Be Protected; No New Mining Leases: Centre’s Big Move Amid Row | India News

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Last Updated:December 24, 2025, 19:36 IST According to the ministry, the rules are intended to safeguard the Aravallis as an ecologically sensitive region and to ensure long-term conservation of its biodiversity. Aravalli ranges. (File) The Central Government on Wednesday directed the concerned states to impose a complete ban on granting any new mining leases across the entire Aravalli range amid an ongoing row over the “new definition” of the mountain range. In a press statement, the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) said that the prohibition will apply uniformly across the Aravalli range, which stretches from Delhi to Gujarat, in a bid to preserve the mountain range as a continuous geological ridge, while putting an end to illegal and unregulated mining activities that have caused extensive environmental damage over the years. The ministry said that these directions are intended to safeguard the Aravallis as an ecologically sensitive region and to ensure long-term conservation of its unique biodiversity and landscape. The government further directed the Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education (ICFRE) …

Supreme Court accepted govt’s 100-m Aravalli rule, its own panel had opposed it | Legal News

Supreme Court accepted govt’s 100-m Aravalli rule, its own panel had opposed it | Legal News

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ON OCTOBER 13, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF & CC) proposed a new 100-metre definition for Aravallis to the Supreme Court. The very next day, the apex court’s Central Empowered Committee (CEC) wrote to the amicus curiae assisting the bench that they did not examine or approve the recommendation. On November 20, the Supreme Court accepted the 100-metre recommendation of the ministry. The CEC is a body set up by the SC in 2002 to monitor and ensure compliance of its orders related to environment and forests. In its October 14 letter reviewed by The Indian Express, the CEC underlined that the definition formulated by the Forest Survey of India (FSI) should be “adopted in order to ensure the protection and conservation of the ecology of the Aravalli Hills and its range.” The FSI had mapped 40,481 sq km as Aravallis in 15 districts of Rajasthan as areas above the minimum elevation with a slope of at least 3 degrees. By this definition, even the lower hills would be protected as …

Mining concerns re-emerge at ‘redefined’ Aravallis range

Mining concerns re-emerge at ‘redefined’ Aravallis range

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The Union government’s new definition of Aravallis, accepted by the Supreme Court on November 20, and which has raised widespread concerns about the opening up of the Aravallis to mining and other land use change, also makes way for the mining of critical and atomic minerals across the entire mountain range. A view of Aravallis range (Parveen Kumar/HT) The technical committee constituted by the court to come out with a uniform definition of the Aravallis noted a request of the mines ministry that the Aravalli Hills are host to several important major minerals such as lead, zinc, silver, copper etc.The Aravalli–Delhi system has been identified as having significant potential for critical minerals such as tin, graphite, molybdenum, niobium, nickel, lithium, and rare earth elements (REEs), all of which are of growing strategic relevance for energy transition, high-technology manufacturing, and national security. These are “essential for the economic development of the country and transition to cleaner sources of energy” , are “site specific” and “the country is presently reliant on imports to meet the demand” the …

‘Only 0.19% Region Eligible’: Centre Rejects Aravallis Mining Fears As Oppn Raises Concerns | India News

‘Only 0.19% Region Eligible’: Centre Rejects Aravallis Mining Fears As Oppn Raises Concerns | India News

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Last Updated:December 22, 2025, 17:44 IST Sachin Pilot warns outdated reports threaten Aravalli hills, while Bhupender Yadav asserts protection. SC rulings and NCR environmental risks fuel the political and legal debate. Sachin Pilot warns outdated reports threaten Aravalli hills, while Bhupender Yadav asserts protection. SC rulings and NCR environmental risks fuel the political and legal debate. (Pic: X, PTI) Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav on Monday rejected allegations that the Aravalli hills are being opened up for unchecked mining, insisting that the Supreme Court’s directions are being followed and that the mountain range remains protected. “The Supreme Court has already given its judgment on this matter. Our government promotes a green Aravalli. Misinformation is being spread regarding the Aravalli hills,” Yadav said. He added that out of the total 1.44 lakh square kilometre area of the Aravalli Range, mining eligibility applies to only 0.19 per cent of the region. “The Aravalli is protected and secure. Those who are lying, their lies will get exposed,” the minister said. Pilot Sounds Alarm Congress leader Sachin Pilot strongly …