‘No way this is acceptable’: In Rajasthan, protests mount as Aravallis face mining threat

On Monday, protests broke out in several cities, including Jodhpur, Udaipur, and Sikar, leading to clashes between protesters and the police. While the police resorted to a baton charge and detained several people in Jodhpur, in Sikar, protesters scaled Harsh Mountain, a 945 m peak that is part of the Aravalli range, to agitate.

As anger mounted, Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma said in Jhalawar that he would not allow any tampering with the Aravalli range. He also targeted former chief minister Ashok Gehlot, who had said in a social media post a few days ago that he was changing his social media display picture to ‘Save Aravali’. “Merely changing your DP to ‘Save Aravali’ is not going to do anything on the ground. These are mere theatrics. We have to work with strong willpower. I assure every one of you that we will not touch the Aravali ranges nor will any illegal mining continue there,” Sharma said.

The Indian Express had first reported on November 27 that the new definition — any landform that is at an elevation of 100 m or more above the local relief will be considered as part of Aravalli Hills — left more than 90 per cent of the range out of the Aravalli umbrella, and vulnerable to mining and construction with severe environmental ramifications.

Amid a backlash, Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav addressed the issue for the second time on Monday, emphasising that mining would only be allowed in 0.19 per cent of the Aravalli hills, and that no new mining leases would be granted until a detailed study is undertaken.

“The Rajasthan government should go to the Supreme Court to file a review petition against this order, or it will be the death of the Aravali… Rajasthan has the maximum stake for Aravali, so we should move,” Kavita Srivastava, national president of human rights organisation People’s Union for Civil Liberties, told The Indian Express. “In any case, Aravali has been devastated so much for the sake of the development of Delhi and Gurgaon…we cannot afford it anymore. There is no way this judgment is acceptable,” she added.

‘New threat to ancient heritage’

In his book, Aravali Par Naya Sankat, Magsaysay awardee and environmentalist and water conservationist Rajendra Singh recounts the history of the fight to save the Aravali ranges, dating back to the 1980s. “By the 1980s, approximately 28,000 mines, both legal and illegal, were operating in the Aravalli region. In 1988, the Tarun Bharat Sangha, an NGO from Alwar, took up the task of closing these mines. By 1993, after a long and arduous battle in courts, the Aravallis were virtually mining-free,” he wrote.

The movement began with a protest against mining in Sariska on Vijayadashami in 1990, as per the book. Then, on October 2, 1993, the Aravali Chetna Yatra, which began in Himmatnagar, Gujarat, carried the message of anti-mining to Delhi. In 1994, Aravalli conservation committees were formed in all districts, and the district administration was entrusted with the responsibility of preventing mining. A mechanism for submitting regular reports to the Supreme Court was also established. At that time, it seemed that the Aravalli hills were safe and a permanent solution had been established, the book stated.

“Within just 10 to 15 years, the situation changed. Mining organisations and lobbies became more active, gathering more power and resources,” Singh told The Indian Express. “When I read the Supreme Court’s decision, I had not seen the government affidavit or the ministry’s action yet. Initially, I thought the court had defined the 100 m height limit to create a uniform legal framework for the Aravalli region across all four states. But reading the reports of the Forest Survey Institute, the Geological Survey of India, and the Technical Subcommittee was an eye-opener. It became clear that this definition, in the name of sustainable development of the mining industry, is creating a new threat to our ancient heritage,” he added.

Singh’s book states that the actual landscape of the Aravalli is as follows: up to 20 metres, the area is 1,07,494 sq km; 20-40 metres, 12,081 sq km; 40-60 metres, 5,009 sq km; 60-80 metres, 2,656 sq km; 80-100 metres, 1,594 sq km; and above 100 metres, only 1,048 sq km, i.e. only 8.7 per cent of the total area. If only above 100 metres is considered for conservation, most of the Aravalli will remain out of protection.

The book states that the actual landscape of the Aravalli is as follows: 1,07,494 sq km is up to 20 metres; 12,081 sq km is between 20-40 metres; 5,009 sq km is between 40-60 metres; 2,656 sq km is between 60–80 metres; 1,594 sq km is between 80-100 metres; and only 1,048 sq km is above 100 metres—which amounts to just 8.7 per cent of the total area. If only areas above 100 metres are considered for conservation, most of the Aravalli will remain unprotected.

The latest development could also impact tribal and local communities, whose homes, farms, groves, and cultural sites are mostly located below 100 metres, fear activists. In the coming days, protests are expected to intensify, with the Congress and other Opposition parties mobilising public support. Congress leaders have organised rallies in Jaipur to oppose the order.