Aravalli Hills: Rajasthan govt vows protection, Congress hits back

Rajasthan Minister Jogaram Patel asserts his government's commitment to Aravalli protection, while Congress's Jairam Ramesh welcomes a Supreme Court directive halting the redefinition of the hills, seeing it as a respite from mining threats.

Rajasthan Govt Committed to Aravalli Protection

Rajasthan Minister Jogaram Patel on Monday reiterated the state government's commitment to protecting the Aravalli Hills, highlighting the steps taken to conserve them. "The amount of work done by our government and the steps taken for the protection of the Aravallis have not been done before. Our government is committed to protecting the Aravallis. Congress does not have any vision or agenda, and, forgetting its past, it is making wrong statements now," Patel said.

Congress Welcomes SC Directive on Aravalli Redefinition

Meanwhile, the Indian National Congress welcomed the Supreme Court's directives regarding the redefinition of the Aravalli Hills, a move currently being pushed by the Modi Government. Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said the matter "needs to be studied in greater detail" and recalled opposition from key authorities. "The Indian National Congress welcomes the directives given by the Supreme Court on the redefinition of the Aravallis being pushed through by the Modi Government. The issue is now to be studied in greater detail. It needs to be recalled that the redefinition has been opposed by the Forest Survey of India, the Central Empowered Committee of the Supreme Court, and by the amicus curiae himself," Ramesh said in a post on X.

He added, "There is now a temporary respite but the struggle to save the Aravallis from the machinations of the Modi Government to open it up to mining, real estate, and other activities will have to be resisted in a sustained manner. Today's Supreme Court directive gives a flicker of hope."

Ramesh further demanded the immediate resignation of the Union Minister for Environment, Forests, and Climate Change, stating that the judgment "is a rejection of all the arguments he has been giving in favour of the redefinition."

Supreme Court Puts Earlier Decision in Abeyance

The Supreme Court has "put in abeyance" its earlier decision issued on November 20, which had accepted the Central Environment Ministry's definition of the Aravalli Hills and the Aravalli Range. The November decision had exposed large parts of the Aravalli region to the risk of regulated mining. (ANI)

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