Brief by Shorts91 Newsdesk / 04:38pm on 24 Dec 2025,Wednesday India
The Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has directed states to impose a complete ban on new mining leases across the Aravalli range, stretching from Delhi to Gujarat. The move aims to curb illegal mining and protect the Aravallis as a continuous geological formation. The ministry has tasked the Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education (ICFRE) with identifying additional zones where mining should be prohibited, based on ecological and geological factors. This follows a Supreme Court ruling defining Aravalli Hills as landforms 100 metres above local relief. Existing mines must comply with strict safeguards. The Centre emphasised the Aravallis’ role in biodiversity, aquifer recharge, and preventing desertification. (PC: X)
