Aravalli mining curbs may not apply to atomic, critical minerals

THe unification authorities’s young definition of Aravallis, recognised by the sublime Court on November 20, and which has raised widespread concerns about the opening up of the Aravallis to mining and other land use change, also makes way for the mining of critical and atomic minerals across the entire mountain range. The technical committee constituted by the court to come out with a uniform definition of the Aravallis noted a request of the mines ministry that the Aravalli Hills are host to several important major minerals such as lead, zinc, silver, copper etc.The Aravalli–Delhi system has been identified as having significant potential for critical minerals such as tin, graphite, molybdenum, niobium, nickel, lithium, and rare earth elements (REEs), all of which are of growing strategic relevance for energy transition, high-technology manufacturing, and national security.These are “essential for the economic development of the country and transition to cleaner sources of energy” , are “site specific” and “the country is presently reliant on imports to meet the demand” the technical committee said in its report submitted to the court.The new definition will only be applied to mining, Union environment minister Bhupender Yadav has clarified adding that no mining is anyway allowed in NCR, but that “no new mining leases will be granted except in the case of critical, strategic and atomic minerals”.The technical committee’s report also said that the Rajasthan government reiterated the presence of deep-seated minerals covered under the 7th Schedule of the MMDR Act, 1957 in the Aravallis that have applications in various strategic projects.“Beneath its surface, the Aravalli Range holds immense mineral wealth. Its rocks rich in marble, granite, mica, and other minerals have fuelled centuries of mining and construction across the region. While this has added economic value, it has also brought challenges related to environmental degradation and land misuse, making the balance between development and conservation a pressing issue,”the report added.And then it went on to recommend that restrictions on mining projects “need not apply to mining of critical, strategic and atomic minerals (atomic minerals notified in part B and Critical and strategic minerals notified in Part D of the First Schedule of MMDR Act, 1957) in view of their strategic and defence significance and national security considerations” and also not to “minerals listed in Schedule 7 of the MMDR Act, 1957 which also have applications in strategic/defence projects or are critical for overall economic growth and development.”Environmentalists say that this is akin to an open licence.“As per the MoEF Report and the judgement, there will be no bar on mining for critical minerals which will be allowable in both the 100m plus legally accepted aravallis, as well as the below 100m legally non-Aravalli hills. Therefore, accepting the FSI’s 3 degree slope definition of the Aravallis does not preclude or ban future mining for critical minerals - it only means that the leases will be subjected to the same scrutiny in the below 100m areas, as it would have got in the above 100m areas if the MoEF definition was accepted. To paraphrase the orders of the hon’ble Court, the ‘precious Aravallis’ ‘need to be protected at any cost,’” said Chetan Agarwal, a forest analyst.According to data from the mines ministry, four mining leases and 19 composite leases for critical minerals will be auctioned in January 2026. Of these, four are in Rajasthan. These are Bhatikhera REE, Niobium and Zirconium Block in Balotra ; RAMB Degana Tungsten, Lithium and Associated Mineral Block in Nagaur; Nimbli Rock Phosphate Block in Jaisalmer ; and Southeast of Gugrot REE and Nb Block in Barmer. While not in the current list of 37 Aravalli districts of Rajasthan, some of these are in the historical range. The Gugrot study area for example forms a part of Thar desert and displays aeolian sand and dunes along with high hills with steep slope. The Nimbli area is covered mostly by aeolian sand, and widespread sand dunes and is broken by steeply rising isolated hills and flat rocky areas. So is the Degana block.The Critical and Strategic Minerals Exploration Opportunities in Rajasthan published by Rajasthan government’s mining department indicates there are likely to be reserves in Bhilwara, Udaipur, Alwar, Banswara, Ajmer and others, all Aravalli districts. Some of these are yet to be explored and will be offered to private agencies according to the document.While concerns remain about the restrictive definition of Aravallis, as determined by the technical committee, the Union environment ministry said: “A narrowly tailored exception applies to atomic minerals (First Schedule Part B), critical and strategic minerals (First Schedule Part D), and minerals in Schedule VII of the MMDR Act, given national security and economic imperatives; all other safeguards continue to apply.”HT reported on November 10 that access to critical minerals has emerged as a key factor in India’s pursuit of its long-term net zero emissions goal, prompting the country to sign agreements with resource-rich nations including Australia, Argentina and Chile for mining, exploration and investment, whilst launching a ₹34,300 crore (approximately $4 billion) National Critical Mineral Mission to secure supplies amid China’s tightening control over global reserves and processing.The mining and refining of critical minerals has significant negative environmental impacts, resulting from extraction, processing and manufacturing. These negative impacts mean that scaling up supply to meet increasing demand is at odds with stricter environmental regulation and broader social factors, according to Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment at The London School of Economics and Political Science.