• UGI USER
  • May 10, 2024
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“SUPREME COURT HALTS MINING LEASES IN ARAVALIS: ENVIRONMENTAL BALANCE”

Why in the news?

The news highlights the Supreme Court’s decision to halt new mining leases in the Aravalli ranges to maintain environmental balance.

source:ResearchGate

About the Supreme Court’s Directive

  • The Supreme Court stopped the issuance of new mining leases and renewals in the Aravalli ranges based on a Forest Survey of India (FSI) report.
  • The report defined the Aravallis to include hills and a 100-metre-wide buffer zone around their downsides.
  • States with Aravali ranges, including Delhi, Rajasthan, Haryana, and Gujarat, can process mining lease applications but cannot grant annual permissions for mining in the specified areas.
  • The court’s decision aims to balance environmental concerns and lawful mining activities, recognizing that a complete ban on mining can lead to illegal practices.
About Aravalli Range:

  • One of the world’s oldest folded mountains, spanning around 670 km in a south-west direction from Delhi to Gujarat.
  • Guru Shikhar, at 1,722 metres, is the highest peak located in the Arbuda Mountains of Rajasthan.
  • Three major rivers flow from the Aravalli: Banas and Sahibi rivers (Yamuna tributaries) and the Luni River (flows into the Rann of Kutch).
  • Formed as part of the Aravalli-Delhi orogenic belt from tectonic plate collisions during the Proterozoic era.
  • Once tall, the Aravalli has worn down over millions of years due to weathering.
  • Abundant in mineral resources like copper, zinc, lead, and marble.
  • Divided into the Sambhar-Sirohi ranges (taller with Guru Shikhar) and the Sambhar-Khetri ranges (three discontinuous ridges).