"No legal demarcation, notified boundary": Congress' Pawan Khera criticises centre's claim of protecting Aravallis

New Delhi [India], December 25 (ANI): Terming the Centre's statement that it will issue a ban on the grant of new mining leases in the Aravallis "misleading", Congress leader Pawan Khera on Thursday said there is no legal demarcation and no single notified boundary for the "Aravalli landscape".
According to a Centre's statement, the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has directed states to impose a complete ban on granting new mining leases across the entire Aravalli range, stretching from Delhi to Gujarat.
"Yesterday's notification of the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change claims that it has issued directions to the states for a 'complete ban on the grant of any new mining leases in the Aravallis'. It is also claimed that 'This prohibition applies uniformly across the entire Aravalli landscape'," Khera posted on X.
"This is a misleading because: 'Aravalli landscape' is not legally demarcated. ??There is no single notified boundary. ??Different states define the Aravallis differently. So 'uniformly' is aspirational language, not an operational reality," he added.
Khera also flagged the issue with the Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education being asked to "identify additional areas" of the Aravallis.
"If additional areas still need to be identified, then: The ban cannot yet be fully mapped. Enforcement cannot be uniform today. State discretion still exists in the interim," he said.
The Congress leader said the Union Environment Ministry's order banning new mining leases is "unnecessary," as it is already covered by the Supreme Court's recent order. He said that the centre attempted to claim credit while continuing with its "nefarious agenda to destroy the treasured natural heritage of our country".
"Additionally, the ban on new mining leases is contained in the recent order of the Supreme Court. As such, yesterday's order by the Ministry of Environment is unnecessary, has no practical relevance, and marks the government's desperate attempt to hoodwink and claim credit while continuing with its nefarious agenda to destroy the treasured natural heritage of our country," Khera said.
His remarks come after the Union Environment, Forest and Climate Change Ministry issued directions to the states to impose a complete ban on granting any New Mining Leases in the Aravallis.
On Wednesday, senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh criticised the centre over its claims that it will protect the Aravallis from illegal mining and said it was a "bogus attempt at damage control".
Ramesh, General Secretary incharge of Communications in Congress, highlighted that the "dangerous" 100m+ redefinition of the Aravallis remains unchanged.
According to an official release, this prohibition applies uniformly across the entire Aravalli landscape and is intended to preserve the integrity of the range. The directions are aimed at safeguarding the Aravallis as a continuous geological ridge extending from Gujarat to the National Capital Region and at stopping all unregulated mining activities.
ICFRE has been directed to undertake this exercise as part of preparing a comprehensive, science-based Management Plan for Sustainable Mining (MPSM) for the entire Aravalli region. The Plan, which will be placed in the public domain for broad stakeholder consultation, will assess the cumulative environmental impact and ecological carrying capacity, identify ecologically sensitive and conservation-critical areas, and outline measures for restoration and rehabilitation.
This exercise by the Centre would further expand the coverage of protected and prohibited mining areas across the entire Aravallis, taking into account local topography, ecology, and biodiversity.
The Centre has also directed that, for mines already in operation, the concerned State Governments ensure strict compliance with all environmental safeguards and conform to the Supreme Court's order. Ongoing mining activities are to be regulated stringently, with additional restrictions, to ensure environmental protection and adherence to sustainable mining practices. (ANI)