Team Blitz India
NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court has told the Rajasthan Government that illegal mining in the Aravalli range must stop and questioned what action was taken against the officers who permitted it.
Rajasthan was given a week to inform the steps taken by the state to curb illegal mining after a Forest Survey of India (FSI) report in 2018 revealed 31 hillocks had disappeared due to rampant illegal mining.
Advocate K Parmeshwar, appearing as amicus curiae, informed the court that even after the FSI report, illegal mining continued due to an absurd yardstick adopted by the Rajasthan Government that defines only hills above 100 metres as part of the Aravallis, where mining was banned in entirety by the Supreme Court in 2002.
Definition defied logic
He said that such a definition defied logic as the Aravalli hills form a contiguous range known as the Aravalli range and a uniform environment impact assessment for the entire range that extends from Haryana to Rajasthan and some parts of Gujarat should be made before granting mining leases.
While the Bench headed by Justice BR Gavai, also comprising Justice AS Oka, was inclined to pass an order staying the issue of any fresh mining leases in the state, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the state, informed that a meeting has been fixed between FSI officials and state departments to discuss the matter. He urged the court to await the outcome of the meeting.
“Illegal mining has to stop,” said the Bench and added, “It cannot be that from 0-99 metres, the mining activity continues. This 100m rule is very problematic. If the area does not have the support of slopes, the land will become barren. What is the purpose of having some structure as Aravalli with other slopes all ruined”.
