Haryana: Citizens' report calls for 'no-go' zones for mining in the Aravallis
CHANDIGARH: A citizens' report has been submitted to Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav and Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini, demanding the declaration of 'NO-GO' areas for mining and stone crushing in the Aravallis. It also calls for a law that classifies the destruction of this ancient mountain range as an ecological crime in Haryana.
The report, titled 'State of the Haryana Aravallis: Citizens' Report – Part 1', was submitted by the environmental collective 'People for Aravallis'. It outlines the status of the Aravalli range across seven Haryana districts, Nuh, Faridabad, Gurugram, Rewari, Mahendergarh, Charkhi Dadri and Bhiwani.
The report highlights that due to rampant mining (both licensed and illegal), deforestation, encroachments, and diversion of Aravalli land for various projects, the two-billion-year-old range is on the brink of extinction.
Neelam Ahluwalia, Founder Member of People for Aravallis, said, 'This report is the first in the series of reports that our group is sharing with our elected representatives and bureaucracy, on the dismal health of our 'lifeline' which is vital for clean air and water security."
"In the backdrop of the Supreme Court this week expressing serious concern over continuing illegal mining across the 670-kilometre Aravalli range and giving the Centre-led Committee a final two-month deadline to arrive at a 'uniform definition of the ecologically crucial mountain range', this report highlights the extremely worrying status of the Aravalli hills and forests in Haryana,' she said.
She added that the destruction has resulted from a lack of legal safeguards and ground-level protection, with significant consequences for the environment and public health in the region.
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