Senior Congress leader and former Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh on Tuesday voiced serious concerns regarding recent clarifications by Union Minister of Environment, Forests, and Climate Change Bhupender Yadav about mining activities in the ecologically sensitive Aravalli mountain range.
The Union Environment Minister Bhupendra Yadav has said only 0.19 per cent or 277 sq km of the 1.44 lakh sq km of the Aravalli hills will be allowed for mining.
In a detailed statement, Ramesh challenged the accuracy of the Ministry’s data and criticised the proposed new definition that could pave the way for extensive mining and real estate development in the Aravallis.
“The Minister claims only 0.19 per cent of the 1.44 lakh square kilometers of the Aravallis is under mining leases, which equals 68,000 acres—a significant extent,” Ramesh observed. He argued that the cited area is misleading because it covers the entire landmass of 34 districts across four states rather than the actual region occupied by the Aravallis. “If the actual Aravalli area is considered, the 0.19 per cent figure becomes a serious underestimate.”
Ramesh further noted that in 15 districts where data is verifiable, the Aravallis cover about 33 per cent of the total land area. He expressed concern over the lack of clarity on how much of this area might be excluded from protection under the new definition and opened up for mining and other development.
He also warned that adopting local profiles as a baseline could exclude many hills over 100 meters in height from protective measures. “This could lead to most hilly tracts in the Delhi NCR region being vulnerable to real estate development, increasing environmental pressures.”
Criticising plans to redefine the boundaries of the Sariska Tiger Reserve to permit mining, Ramesh cautioned that “fragmentation of what is essentially an interconnected ecosystem will degrade its ecological value. This kind of fragmentation has already caused serious damage elsewhere.”
Calling the Aravallis a vital part of India’s natural heritage with immense ecological importance, Ramesh questioned the government’s motives. “Why is the Modi government so determined to redefine them? For whose benefit? And why are the recommendations of expert bodies like the Forest Survey of India being ignored?”
Environmentalists and activists have supported these concerns, warning that weakening protections for the Aravallis could harm biodiversity, groundwater replenishment, and air quality, particularly in the National Capital Region.
The Ministry of Environment, Forests, and Climate Change has not yet responded to these criticisms as the debate over balancing development with ecological conservation in the Aravalli region continues.