Well over 90 per cent of the Aravallis will not be protected under the redefinition of the hills and will open them up for mining and other activities, Jairam Ramesh said Thursday, doubling down on the party’s criticism of the Narendra Modi government on the issue.
The senior Congress leader said there was no connection between Prime Minister Modi's "global talk and local walk" when it comes to environmental concerns.
"The Modi Sarkar is now going to protect only those Aravalli hills that are at a height of more than 100 metres. According to the Forest Survey of India's data that is authoritative, only 8.7 per cent of the Aravalli hills exceed 100 metres," Ramesh wrote in a post on X (formerly Twitter).
"This means that over 90 per cent of the Aravallis will NOT be protected by the new redefinition and could well get opened up for mining, real estate and other activities that will further damage an already ravaged ecosystem," he added.
Ramesh further said, "This is yet another example of the Modi Sarkar's determined assault on ecological balance that includes loosening of pollution standards, weakening of environment and forest laws, emasculation of the National Green Tribunal and other institutions of environmental governance".
The Supreme Court on November 20 accepted the recommendations of a committee under the Union Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change on the definition of Aravalli hills and ranges.
According to the new definition, "Aravalli Hill is any landform in designated Aravalli districts with an elevation of 100 metres or more above its local relief" and an "Aravalli Range is a collection of two or more such hills within 500 metres of each other".
The redefinition of the Aravallis has sparked intense backlash since news of the judgment broke.
Under fire, the Union environment ministry on Wednesday directed states to impose a complete ban on new mining leases in the Aravallis and expand protected zones, describing it as a major step toward “conservation and protection.”
Ramesh alleged that despite the fresh directive, “the Aravallis are not being saved, but are being sold out.”
The government, meanwhile, is on overdrive to project that misinformation is being spread about the new definition,
Asserting that 90 per cent of the Aravalli region will remain "protected", the Centre had on Sunday rejected claims that the new definition range will allow large-scale mining and cited a Supreme Court-ordered freeze on new mining leases in the region.
A Press Information Bureau (PIB) fact-check said the narrative of environmental dilution was “misleading” and ignored the comprehensive safeguards endorsed by the apex court.
According to the PIB, the court has explicitly acknowledged the critical ecological role played by the Aravalli hills, describing them as a natural barrier against desertification, a major groundwater recharge zone, and an important biodiversity habitat. The court also cautioned that unregulated mining in the region poses a “great threat to the ecology of the nation.”
The PIB said a Supreme Court-approved framework provides for stronger protection of the mountain system and places a freeze on new mining leases until a comprehensive management plan is finalised.
Union environment minister Bhupender Yadav said that the SC-approved definition will bring more than 90 per cent of the Aravalli region under "protected area."
Replying to queries from media persons after a meeting on Project Elephant and the National Tiger Conservation Authority in the Sundarbans of West Bengal, Yadav also emphasised that "no relaxation has been granted" with regard to the protection of the Aravalli region and claimed "lies" have been spread on the issue.
"Stop spreading misinformation!" he wrote in a post on X, amid allegations by the Congress and others that the step will destroy the Aravallis.
"In the total area of 1.44 lakh square kilometres of the Aravalli, mining eligibility can only be in 0.19 per cent of the area. The rest of the entire Aravalli is preserved and protected," said Yadav.
The government has asserted that it is "incorrect to conclude" that all landforms below 100 metres are open for mining.
In an explanation issued amid the controversy over the "100-metre" criterion, the Centre rejected claims that mining had been permitted in areas below 100 metres and said the restriction applies to entire hill systems and their enclosed landforms and not merely to the hill peak or slope.
It said the definition of the Aravalli hills and range has been standardised across states on the directions of the Supreme Court to remove ambiguity and prevent misuse, particularly practices that allowed mining to continue dangerously close to hill bases.