TNI Bureau: The Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has ordered a complete ban on the grant of any new mining leases across the entire Aravalli Range, from Gujarat to the National Capital Region, including Delhi. The decision aims to stop illegal and unregulated mining and protect one of India’s oldest and most ecologically sensitive mountain systems.

Along with halting fresh mining activity, the ministry has tasked the Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education (ICFRE) with identifying additional areas in the Aravallis where mining should be prohibited. This will be done through a science-based Management Plan for Sustainable Mining, which will assess ecological carrying capacity, cumulative environmental impacts and environmentally sensitive zones. The plan will be placed in the public domain for stakeholder consultation and will also include measures for ecological restoration of degraded areas.

For mining operations that are already underway, state governments have been directed to ensure strict compliance with environmental norms and Supreme Court orders. Existing mines will be subjected to tighter regulation to align operations with sustainable mining practices.

The Centre said the move would significantly expand protected and no-mining zones across the Aravallis, keeping in view biodiversity, topography and ecological sensitivity. The Aravalli Range is crucial for preventing desertification, conserving biodiversity, recharging groundwater and maintaining environmental balance in north-western India, the ministry said.