‘90% Aravallis under protected zone’: Centre dismisses ‘relaxation claims’ charge

UNion environs, woodland and mood convert government minister Bhupendra Yadav on Sunday dismissed claims that the Centre had diluted protections for the Aravalli hills. He said the government remained committed to protecting the fragile ecosystem and clarified that nearly 90 per cent of the Aravalli landscape would remain protected."There are no relaxations on the Aravalli. The Aravalli range spans four states: Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan, and Gujarat. A petition regarding it has been pending in court since 1985," Yadav was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.Putting the spotlight on the “100-metre” definition, the minister said false information was being widely circulated. "There are no relaxations on the Aravalli. The Aravalli range spans four states: Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan, and Gujarat. A petition regarding it has been pending in court since 1985," he said."Some YouTube channels misinterpret the 100 metre range as the top 100 metres, which is not true. The 100 metres refers to the spread of the hill from top to bottom, and a gap between two ranges will also be considered part of the Aravalli range. With this definition, 90 per cent of the area comes under the protected zone," he added.Also read| Why has the new definition of the Aravalli hills triggered a protest? What activists sayYadav underlined that mining would remain tightly regulated. "Mark my words, the total Aravalli area is about 1.47 lakh square kilometres. Only around 217 square kilometres, nearly two per cent, is eligible for mining. Even so, the Supreme Court has directed that a Management Plan for Sustainable Mining be prepared. After that, permission from ICFRE will be required before any activity can proceed," he said.He further stressed that mining in the Delhi Aravalli is completely prohibited. "All protected areas and forest reserves will remain as they are in Delhi. Our government has been running a Green Aravalli programme for the past two years. We are very considerate about the Aravalli, and a false narrative is being created," Yadav added.Also read| ‘Lifeline', 'Natural shield for NCR': Oppn ramps up criticism on Supreme Court Aravalli orderSeveral opposition parties, including the Congress and the Samajwadi Party, have also opposed the Supreme Court ruling. Opposition leaders have warned of serious ecological damage, while the BJP has dismissed the criticism as misleading.In a post on X, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav said protecting the Aravallis was inseparable from Delhi’s survival, describing the range as a natural shield for the Delhi-NCR region.“If the Aravalli survives, Delhi will remain lush and green. Saving the Aravalli is not an option but a resolve,” he wrote, warning that continued degradation would worsen air pollution, biodiversity loss, and extreme temperatures in the capital.“Saving the Aravalli means saving Delhi's future; otherwise, Delhi's residents, who are already struggling to take every breath, will never escape the deadly conditions of smog. Today, pollution is having its worst and most dangerous impact on the elderly, the sick, and children in the NCR. Even the world-famous hospitals and medical services sector here have been severely affected. People who used to come to Delhi to get treated for illnesses are no longer coming, lest they fall ill again,” he said.Protest over new definitionThe new definition of what constitutes the Aravalli hills has triggered protests from Haryana’s Gurugram to Rajasthan’s Udaipur, with environmental activists fearing that the changed definition could prove detrimental to the ecological balance of one of the country’s oldest mountain ranges.(With ANI inputs)