Aravallis Saved? Govt Says No Mining Leases, Promises Bigger Protected Area After Backlash Over New Rules

The

government on Tuesday ordered a complete ban on the grant of new mining leases in the Aravallis, amid controversy over recently announced rules redefining the Aravalli hills and ranges.“In a major step towards the conservation and protection of the entire Aravalli range, stretching from Delhi to Gujarat, from illegal mining, the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) has issued directions to states to impose a complete ban on the approval of any new mining leases in the Aravallis,” the ministry said in a statement.