Centre Orders Ban On Grant Of New Mining Leases In Aravallis Amid '100-Metre Test Rule' Row

In a move to safeguard the Aravalli Range from rampant mining, the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has directed all states to impose a complete ban on granting new mining leases across the entire Aravalli landscape, stretching from Delhi to Gujarat, as per a release issued on Wednesday.

The directive aims to preserve the ecological integrity of the Aravallis, a critical geological ridge that plays a vital role in preventing desertification, conserving biodiversity, and recharging groundwater aquifers. The ministry emphasised that this prohibition applies uniformly across the range and seeks to halt unregulated mining activities that threaten the fragile ecosystem.

The move comes at a time when environmentalists have marked concern over the new definition of Aravallis, as proposed by a government committee, which has received the Supreme Court's assent.

According to the new definition, "Aravalli Hill is any landform in designated Aravalli districts with an elevation of 100 metres or more above its local relief" and an "Aravalli Range is a collection of two or more such hills within 500 metres of each other".

The environment ministry, as per the release issued on Wednesday, has tasked the Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education (ICFRE) with identifying additional zones where mining should be prohibited. This exercise will go beyond the areas already under protection and will be based on ecological, geological, and landscape-level considerations.

ICFRE will prepare a comprehensive Management Plan for Sustainable Mining (MPSM) for the entire Aravalli region. The plan, to be placed in the public domain for stakeholder consultation, will assess cumulative environmental impacts, determine ecological carrying capacity, and outline restoration and rehabilitation measures for degraded areas.

The Centre clarified that while new leases are banned, ongoing mining operations must comply strictly with environmental safeguards and Supreme Court directives. States have been instructed to regulate existing mines imposing additional restrictions to ensure sustainable practices.

Officials noted that this initiative will expand the protected zone, reinforcing the government’s commitment to long-term conservation of the Aravalli ecosystem. The range, which spans Haryana, Rajasthan, Gujarat, and parts of Delhi, is considered vital for maintaining regional climate balance and ecological health.