In a significant move to conserve the Aravalli Range, the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) has directed States to impose a complete ban on the grant of new mining leases across the entire Aravalli landscape, stretching from Delhi to Gujarat. The prohibition applies uniformly to the whole range and is aimed at curbing illegal and unregulated mining activities that threaten the ecological integrity of one of India’s oldest mountain systems.

The Ministry has also tasked the Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education (ICFRE) with identifying additional areas across the Aravallis where mining should be prohibited, beyond zones already protected by the Centre. This exercise will be undertaken as part of a comprehensive, science-based Management Plan for Sustainable Mining for the entire region, which will assess cumulative environmental impacts, ecological carrying capacity, and identify conservation-critical areas.

The proposed plan will be placed in the public domain for stakeholder consultation and is expected to further expand the extent of protected and no-mining zones, taking into account the region’s topography, ecology and biodiversity.

For mines already in operation, the Centre has directed State Governments to ensure strict compliance with environmental safeguards and Supreme Court directions, with tighter regulation to ensure adherence to sustainable mining practices.