Cenre tells States to ‘enforce’ apex court orders on Aravalis, Pg1

Key Highlights:

• The Union Environment Ministry directed Haryana, Rajasthan, and Gujarat to enforce the Supreme Court's order against new mining leases in the Aravali region.
• Existing mines can continue operations if they strictly adhere to established norms.
• The Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education (ICFRE) is tasked with creating a Management Plan for Sustainable Mining.
• The plan will identify areas permissible for mining and ecologically sensitive zones.

Detailed Insights:

• The Supreme Court has been addressing environmental concerns related to mining, quarrying, and deforestation in the Aravalis for several years.
• A committee recommended a uniform criterion of 100 meters above local relief to regulate mining, which Rajasthan has implemented since 2006.
• The Aravali range includes land within 500 meters of hills that are 100 meters or higher, excluding these areas from new mining leases.
• A 2010 report by the Forest Survey of India estimated that only 8% of the 12,000 hills in the Aravalis exceed 100 meters, potentially opening them to mining.

Key Concepts Involved:

• Mining Lease: A contract granting rights to extract minerals from a specific area.
• Sustainable Mining: Practices that minimize environmental impact and ensure resource conservation.
• Ecologically Sensitive Zone: Areas with significant biodiversity requiring protection from exploitation.