5 months ago
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Amid a enactment implicit the redefinition of the Aravallis, Congress person Jairam Ramesh connected Sunday (December 28, 2025) posed 4 questions to Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav and claimed that the determination volition pb to fragmentation and undermining of the geographical and ecological integrity of the full upland range.
In a missive to Mr. Yadav, Congress wide caput Jairam Ramesh said determination are understandably wide concerns with the redefinition of the Aravalli Hills that restrict them to landforms having an elevation of 100 metres oregon more.
“In this connection, delight licence maine to rise 4 circumstantial questions for your consideration. Is it not a information that the explanation of the Aravalli Hills and Ranges successful Rajasthan, since 2012, has been based connected a study of the Forest Survey of India (FSI) of August 28, 2010, that said the following: All specified areas having a slope of 3 degrees oregon much shall beryllium delineated arsenic hills, on with a azygous 100-metre-wide buffer added to the downhill broadside to relationship for imaginable enlargement corresponding to a 20-metre elevation height, equivalent to the contour interval of 20 metres. Flat areas, tabletops, depressions and valleys falling wrong these delineated regions shall besides beryllium included arsenic portion of the hills,” Mr. Ramesh posed.
He besides asked whether it was not a information that the FSI, successful a connection to the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change dated September 20, 2025, had stated that “the smaller elevation formations of the Aravallis service arsenic earthy barriers against desertification by stopping heavier soil particles-thus protecting Delhi and neighbouring plains from sandstorms.”
“Because the protective effect of a obstruction against windblown soil scales straight with its height, adjacent humble hills of 10 to 30 metres enactment arsenic beardown earthy upwind breaks”, helium added.
“Is it not a information that the Central Empowered Committee (CEC) constituted by the Supreme Court had, successful its study of November 7, 2025, concluded that 164 mining leases successful Rajasthan were wrong the Aravalli Hills and Ranges arsenic defined by the then-prevailing FSI definition?” Mr. Ramesh asked.
”Is it not existent that the redefinition volition effect successful nonaccomplishment of galore tiny hillocks and different landforms and besides pb to fragmentation and undermining of the geographical and ecological integrity of the full Aravalli Hills and Ranges covering 4 states?” the Congress person asked.
The Opposition Congress has claimed that much than 90% of the Aravallis volition not beryllium protected nether the redefinition of the hills and volition unfastened them up for mining and different activities. Following a enactment implicit the issue, the Centre has issued directions to states for a implicit prohibition connected granting caller mining leases wrong the upland range.
