New Delhi,  24 Dec

The Centre on Wednesday directed states to impose a complete ban on granting new mining leases across the Aravalli range, officials said.

The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has also asked the Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education to identify additional areas across the Aravallis where mining should be prohibited, beyond zones already barred by the Centre.

A senior official said the prohibition would apply uniformly across the entire Aravalli landscape to preserve the integrity of the range as a continuous geological ridge from Gujarat to the National Capital Region (NCR) and to curb unregulated mining.

The ICFRE has been tasked with carrying out this exercise while preparing a comprehensive, science-based Management Plan for Sustainable Mining (MPSM) for the entire Aravalli region. The plan will be placed in the public domain for stakeholder consultation and will assess cumulative environmental impact, ecological carrying capacity, conservation-critical zones, and measures for restoration and rehabilitation.

Officials said ongoing mining activities would face stricter regulation and additional conditions to ensure environmental safeguards and adherence to sustainable mining practices.

Reiterating the government’s stance, the official said the Centre remained committed to the long-term protection of the Aravalli ecosystem, citing its role in preventing desertification, conserving biodiversity, recharging aquifers and providing vital environmental services.

In November 2025, the Supreme Court of India accepted a uniform legal definition of the Aravalli Hills and the Aravalli Range, based on recommendations of a committee led by the Environment Ministry. Under the definition, an “Aravalli Hill” is a landform rising at least 100 metres above the surrounding terrain, while an “Aravalli Range” comprises two or more such hills within 500 metres of each other.

The Indian National Congress, however, alleged that the move could open the door to extensive mining and cause irreversible environmental damage.

In a post on X, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said recent “clarifications” by the Environment Minister had raised more questions, and accused the government of ignoring recommendations by the Forest Survey of India.

“The Aravallis are part of our natural heritage and need meaningful protection and restoration. Why is the government redefining them, and for whose benefit?” he asked.