Jaipur (Rajasthan)

Rajasthan Cabinet Minister Jogaram Patel stated on Tuesday that the state government is fully committed to safeguarding the Aravalli mountain range and ensuring that no environmental damage occurs.

Addressing the political debate, the Minister clarified that the Union Environment Ministry has already explained that the central leadership has provided a complete explanation regarding the conservation of the range. He further dismissed the opposition's criticisms as baseless and an attempt to mislead the public.

Jogaram Patel said, "We will not allow any damage to the Aravalli mountain range in any way. The Union Environment Minister has also explained this in detail. The Congress is spreading propaganda; the Congress will gain nothing from this."

Meanwhile, Congress leader Pawan Khera on Monday warned that the ecological balance of the entire NCR region will fall if the new order on the Aravalli Hills is implemented.

"If the new order on the Aravallis is implemented, the ecological balance of this entire region, several states, or half of Hindustan will be destroyed. The Aravalli mountain range protects Delhi, Haryana, and the agriculture of the entire region from sand from the Thar Desert. The Aravallis make a very significant contribution to maintaining this entire balance. If anyone even touches the Aravallis, they will be considered an enemy of this country, of this entire region," Khera told ANI.

Congress leader Sachin Pilot also echoed the sentiment and said, "Our entire ecology will be disturbed, and the Aravalli range provides protection to the entire NCR. If we allow illegal mining to continue, what will we leave behind for our future generations? On the 26th, in Jaipur, the student union and all our colleagues are organising a march to seek support for protecting the Aravalli range."

The Supreme Court has accepted the Centre's definition of the Aravalli hills, which states that "any hills in the range with an elevation of less than 100 metres are not subject to the strictures against mining."

The apex court also accepted the recommendations for sustainable mining in the Aravalli Hills and the steps to be taken for preventing illegal mining.

The Union Environment Ministry has also issued a detailed clarification, stating that no new mining leases will be allowed until a comprehensive study is undertaken, in line with the Supreme Court's November 20 order.

Earlier, the Supreme Court directed the Environment Ministry to prepare a Mining Plan for Sustainable Mining (MPSM) for the entire Aravalli range before granting any new leases.

With the definition now operational, the court has ordered that no new mining leases be issued until the MPSM is finalised, a move officials say serves as a preventive measure against immediate ecological damage.

The Aravalli range is a 670-kilometre-long mountain range in northwestern India. The highest elevation in the range is 1,722 metres.

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The hill starts near Delhi, passes through Haryana, Rajasthan, and ends in Gujarat. The highest peak of the range is known as Guru Shikhar, in Mount Abu, Rajasthan.

The Aravalli range is the oldest fold-mountain belt in India, dating back around 2 billion years.