Congress attacks Modi Govt. on Aravalli issue, asks why 'hell-bent' on redefining mountain range

The Aravallis are the country's earthy practice and person large ecological value, the Congress connected Tuesday (December 23, 2025) said, arsenic it wondered wherefore the Modi authorities was "hell-bent" connected redefining the upland scope and for whose benefit.

In a station connected X, Congress wide caput Jairam Ramesh said the caller "clarifications" on the past upland scope fixed by the Environment and Forest Minister rise much questions.

"Aravallis are portion of our earthy practice and person large ecological value. They request important restoration and meaningful protection. Why is the Modi Government hellbent connected redefining them? To what end? For whose benefit?

"And wherefore are the recommendations of a nonrecreational organisation similar the Forest Survey of India being deliberately ignored and acceptable aside?" helium asked.

Mr. Ramesh besides said, "The precise caller 'clarifications' fixed by the Union Minister of Environment, Forests, and Climate Change connected the Aravallis contented rise adjacent much questions and doubts."

The Congress leader, who has been the erstwhile Environment Minister, said, the curate says that lone 0.19%t of the 1.44 lakh sq kms of the Aravallis is presently nether mining leases, and this already amounts to 68,000 acres, a immense swath.

"However the 1.44 lakh sq kms fig is deceptive - it spans the full landmass of the 34 Aravalli districts identified by the Ministry successful 4 states. This is the incorrect denominator, since the denominator that should really beryllium utilized is the country wrong these districts, which is really nether the Aravallis.

"If the country nether the Aravallis is utilized arsenic a base, past 0.19% volition crook retired to beryllium a precise immense under-estimate," helium said.

Mr. Ramesh claimed that successful 15 of the 34 districts for which information is verifiable, the country nether the Aravallis is 33% of the full landmass.

There is nary clarity whatsoever astir however overmuch of these Aravalli areas volition beryllium excluded nether the caller explanation and made disposable for mining and different developments, helium said.

"If section profiles are adopted arsenic a baseline arsenic the Minister is suggesting galore 100+ metres precocious hills volition get excluded from protective cover.

"With the revised explanation astir hilly tracts of the Aravallis successful the Delhi NCR volition get opened up for existent property improvement adding to biology stress," helium said.

The minister, who is starring the determination to redefine the boundaries of the Sariska Tiger Reserve to let for mining, overlooks a cardinal interest that fragmentation of what is fundamentally an interconnected ecosystem volition harm its ecological value, helium said, adding, specified fragmentation elsewhere is already causing havoc.

Mr. Yadav connected Monday accused the Congress of spreading "misinformation" connected the contented of the caller explanation of the Aravallis and stressed that mining tin beryllium carried retired legally successful lone 0.19% of the country of the upland range.

At a property briefing, helium said the Narendra Modi authorities remains "fully committed" to protecting and restoring the Aravallis.

"The Congress, which allowed rampant amerciable mining successful Rajasthan during its tenure, is spreading confusion, misinformation and lies astir the issue," the curate alleged.

In November 2025, the Supreme Court accepted a azygous ineligible explanation of what constitutes the Aravalli Hills and Aravalli Range connected the proposal of a committee led by the Environment Ministry.

Under this definition, an "Aravalli Hill" is simply a landform with an elevation of astatine slightest 100 metres supra its section surrounding terrain and an "Aravalli Range" is simply a clump of 2 oregon much specified hills wrong 500 metres of each other.