The Environment Ministry on Wednesday issued orders to the Chief Secretaries of Haryana, Rajasthan and Gujarat, asking them to enforce the Supreme Court’s direction preventing the granting of new mining leases across the Aravalli range till a management plan is finalised.
Existing mines with permissions will be allowed, provided they “strictly” comply with norms.
A letter has also been sent to the Director General of the Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education (ICFRE), an expert body affiliated to the Environment Ministry, directing it prepare a Management Plan for Sustainable Mining that should identify “permissible areas for mining” as well those that are “ecologically sensitive, conservation-critical and restoration-priority areas within the landscape where mining would be permitted only under exceptional circumstances.” No deadline has been specified to complete the exercise.
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Amid criticism from environmental activists and allegations that vast tracts of the Aravali ranges could be opened for mining, the letters issued on Wednesday align with Environment Minister Bhupendra Yadav’s recent emphasis on protecting the region.
