Jairam Ramesh calls Centre's Aravalli move 'bogus damage control'

Jairam Ramesh slammed the Centre's ban on new mining in Aravallis as 'bogus damage control'. He said the 'dangerous' 100m+ redefinition of the hills remains unchanged, accusing the government of selling the Aravallis instead of saving them.

'Bogus Attempt at Damage Control'

Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on Wednesday criticised the Centre over its claims that it will protect Aravallis from illegal mining, and said that it was a "bogus attempt at damage control".

Ramesh, General Secretary incharge of Communications in Congress, highlighted that the "dangerous" 100m+ redefinition of the Aravallis remains unchanged. "This is a bogus attempt at damage control that will not fool anybody. These are pious proclamations but the dangerous 100m+ redefinition of the Aravallis - rejected by the Forest Survey of India, the Supreme Court-mandated Central Empowered Committee, and the Supreme Court's amicus curiae - remains unchanged," Ramesh posted on X. "Aravalli Pahado ko bachaya nahi, becha jaa raha hai (Aravalli Hills are not being protected, but are being sold)," he said.

Centre's Directives on Aravalli Mining

His remarks come after the Union Environment, Forest and Climate Change Ministry issued directions to the states for a complete ban on the grant of any New Mining Leases in the Aravallis.

According to an official release, this prohibition applies uniformly across the entire Aravalli landscape and is intended to preserve the integrity of the range. The directions are aimed at safeguarding the Aravallis as a continuous geological ridge extending from Gujarat to the National Capital Region and at stopping all unregulated mining activities.

ICFRE has been directed to undertake this exercise as part of preparing a comprehensive, science-based Management Plan for Sustainable Mining (MPSM) for the entire Aravalli region. The Plan, which will be placed in the public domain for broad stakeholder consultation, will assess the cumulative environmental impact and ecological carrying capacity, identify ecologically sensitive and conservation-critical areas, and outline measures for restoration and rehabilitation.

This exercise by the Centre would further expand the coverage of protected and prohibited mining areas across the entire Aravallis, taking into account local topography, ecology, and biodiversity.

The Centre has also directed that, for mines already in operation, the concerned State Governments ensure strict compliance with all environmental safeguards and conform to the Supreme Court's order. Ongoing mining activities are to be regulated stringently, with additional restrictions, to ensure environmental protection and adherence to sustainable mining practices.

Ramesh's Earlier Accusations

On Tuesday, Ramesh accused the centre of "misleading the public" and pushing through a "fatally flawed" redefinition of the ecologically sensitive range.

In a post on X, Ramesh alleged that the Union Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change was being "economical with the truth" on the Aravalli Hills issue. He claimed that the redefinition being adopted by the government had been "clearly and compellingly opposed" by key statutory and judicial bodies, including the Forest Survey of India, the Central Empowered Committee (CEC) of the Supreme Court, and the apex court's own amicus curiae.

"Why is the Modi Govt pushing through a fatally flawed redefinition of the Aravallis?" Ramesh asked in his tweet. Speaking to ANI on Tuesday, the Congress MP had alleged that the government was attempting to "sell the Aravalli Hills instead of saving them". He argued that changes in the definition of the Aravalli region would open the door for increased mining and real estate activity, further aggravating pollution levels, particularly in and around the National Capital Region. (ANI)

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