No new mining leases in Aravallis: Centre orders blanket ban after court intervention

The union government has directed states to impose a complete ban on granting any new mining leases across the Aravallis, escalating its response to a growing controversy over recent changes to how the ancient hill range is officially defined.

The order, issued by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC), applies uniformly to the entire Aravalli landscape stretching from Gujarat to the National Capital Region. It comes days after the Supreme Court froze all new mining permissions until a comprehensive Management Plan for Sustainable Mining is finalised.

In an official statement, the ministry said the directions are intended to protect the Aravallis from illegal and unregulated mining and to preserve the geological continuity of one of the world’s oldest mountain systems.

Supreme Court judgment drives policy shift

The Centre’s move flows directly from the Supreme Court’s November 20 judgment in the long-running TN Godavarman Thirumulpad vs Union of India case. The court accepted a uniform scientific definition of the Aravalli hills and ranges proposed by a MoEF&CC-led expert committee.

Crucially, the court ordered that no new mining leases be granted until the ministry, through the Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education (ICFRE), prepares a Management Plan for Sustainable Mining. The plan is meant to balance ecological protection with regulated extraction, modelled on similar frameworks used in fragile regions such as Saranda in Jharkhand.

While the court declined to impose a permanent blanket ban on mining across the Aravallis, it warned that unregulated activity could severely damage biodiversity and water systems and risk accelerating desertification.

Fresh mandate for states, ICFRE role expanded

Under the new directions, state governments must not only halt new leases but also strictly regulate mines that are already operational. The Centre has instructed states to ensure full compliance with environmental safeguards and with the Supreme Court’s conditions.

The MoEF&CC has also tasked ICFRE with identifying additional zones within the Aravallis where mining should be prohibited, beyond areas already notified by the Centre. This exercise is to be based on ecological sensitivity, geological features and landscape-level connectivity rather than administrative boundaries.

Officials say the aim is to treat the Aravallis as a continuous ecological system rather than a fragmented set of hillocks divided by state lines.

Debate over definition fuels misinformation claims

The order comes amid sharp public debate and online campaigns claiming that the newly accepted definition of the Aravalli hills would open up large parts of the range to mining. The definition describes hills rising at least 100 m above the local terrain and occurring in clusters within 500 m of each other.

Environmental groups and Opposition parties argue that this criterion excludes smaller hillocks that play a crucial role in groundwater recharge and wildlife corridors. They warn that a narrow interpretation could weaken protections across much of the range.

The Supreme Court, however, rejected the argument that the definition would legitimise widespread mining. It noted that indiscriminate bans could encourage illegal extraction and instead emphasised the need for a science-based regulatory framework backed by strict enforcement.

The Aravallis run through Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan and Gujarat, acting as a natural barrier against the eastward spread of the Thar desert and supporting water security for the National Capital Region. The Centre’s latest directive signals that, at least until a sustainable mining plan is in place, conservation will take precedence over fresh extraction.