‘Aravalli is protected’: Centre cites 0.19% mining eligibility as opposition warns of damage

An aerial view of Udaipur and Aravali hills in Rajasthan.

Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav on Monday dismissed claims that mining in the Aravalli hills is being allowed without restrictions, saying the Centre is acting strictly within the framework laid down by the Supreme Court and that the mountain range remains safeguarded.

Responding to the allegations, Yadav said the government’s policy is focused on conservation, not exploitation. “The Supreme Court has already delivered its judgment on this issue. Our government stands for a green Aravalli. Misinformation is being spread,” he said.

The minister pointed out that mining is permitted in only a fraction of the region. Of the Aravalli range’s total area of 1.44 lakh square kilometres, he said, just 0.19 per cent qualifies for mining activity.

“The Aravalli is protected and secure. Those spreading falsehoods will be exposed,” Yadav added.

The Centre’s position, however, has drawn sharp criticism from the Congress, with party leader Sachin Pilot warning that the continued use of outdated data could have serious consequences for the National Capital Region.

Pilot said that relying on old reports while implementing existing court guidelines risks long-term ecological harm. “If these guidelines continue without fresh assessments, one of the world’s oldest mountain ranges will be destroyed. They are using outdated reports,” he said in an interview with CNN-News18.

He argued that judicial decisions are shaped by the information placed before the court by governments, and warned that the fallout would be felt far beyond the hills themselves. “If the Aravalli is destroyed, the entire NCR will suffer. Public anger has to be addressed,” Pilot said, announcing a protest march in Jaipur on December 26.

Senior Congress leader Pawan Khera echoed the concerns, saying the ecological cost of further degradation could be enormous. He underlined the Aravallis’ role in shielding Delhi, Haryana and the surrounding agricultural belts from desertification caused by winds from the Thar Desert.

“The Aravallis are critical to the environmental balance of this region. Any damage to them will have consequences across several states,” Khera said, warning that the current approach could upset that balance irreversibly.

At the heart of the dispute are multiple Supreme Court orders on mining and construction in the Aravalli range. Earlier rulings placed sweeping restrictions on activity in ecologically sensitive zones, particularly in Haryana and Rajasthan, citing environmental and public health risks.

Over time, the court has allowed regulated activity in certain non-forest areas based on state classifications, environmental clearances and affidavits submitted to it. While the government insists mining is limited to legally designated pockets, critics argue these classifications rely on surveys that no longer reflect ground realities.

Environmental experts warn that further weakening of the Aravallis could intensify air pollution, water shortages and heat stress across the NCR, already one of the most environmentally vulnerable regions in the country.