Apex court has recognised Green Aravalli Project; rumours unfounded: Env minister

New Delhi, Dec 23: Union Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister Bhupender Yadav on Tuesday clarified that the Supreme Court has not granted any relaxation for mining in the Aravalli range, strongly refuting rumours and misinformation being circulated about the ecologically sensitive region.
Speaking to IANS, Yadav said, “The Supreme Court has given no relaxation on Aravalli mining. It has recognised the Ministry’s Green Aravalli Project and assigned responsibility to our ICFRE institution that no new mining will be allowed until a comprehensive management plan is prepared. These rumours are false, and the public now knows the truth.”
The minister explained that the Supreme Court’s directives focus on stopping illegal mining and ensuring sustainable, scientific management of the Aravalli hills and the broader range. “Under this plan, the Aravalli hills and the Aravalli range will be identified, their eco-sensitivity assessed, and only then can mining be considered,” he said.
Asked whether the government’s approach is a new departure from past practices, Minister Yadav noted that the apex court had formed a joint committee with the Forest Survey of India, the Geological Survey of India, and the Central Empowered Committee to address illegal mining. “This committee submitted its report to the Supreme Court,” he said, emphasising that the current measures are guided by science and judicial oversight.
Minister Yadav also recalled the Supreme Court’s 2018 observations highlighting environmental damage. In 2018, the Supreme Court said 31 hills had completely vanished due to mining. “That is precisely why a management plan will be prepared for every district,” he said, underlining the government’s commitment to ecological protection.
Refuting claims that certain areas like Chittorgarh and Madhopur were being excluded from the new plan, the minister asserted, “All parts of the Aravallis will be included. No area is being excluded.”
He further addressed allegations of foreign funding or NGO involvement behind the spread of misinformation. “Those who want to lie will do so by choice. But they are not succeeding. The public now knows the truth,” he said.
The environment minister reiterated that the Centre remains fully committed to protecting the Aravallis. (IANS)