Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on Tuesday stepped up his attack on the Union government’s position on mining in the Aravalli range, saying recent clarifications by environment minister Bhupendra Yadav raise 'even more questions and doubts' about the Centre’s intentions.
Mr Ramesh’s remarks came a day after the Union ministry of environment, forest and climate change (MoEFCC) stated that mining is permitted in only 0.19% of the Aravalli range, amounting to about 277sqkm (square kilometres) and that there is no imminent threatto the ecology of the ancient hill system spread across Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan and Gujarat.
In a detailed post on X, Mr Ramesh argued that even 0.19% of the Aravalli landscape is a 'huge amount', estimating it to be about 68,000 acres under mining leases. He also questioned the government’s use of what he called a 'deceptive denominator' to calculate the affected area.
“The figure of 1.44 lakh sqkm spans the entire landmass of 34 districts identified by the Ministry. This is the wrong denominator,” Ramesh wrote, adding that the correct base should be the actual area under the Aravalli hills within these districts. “If that is used, 0.19% will turn out to be a very large underestimate,” he says.
The Congress leader further claimed that in 15 of the 34 districts for which data is verifiable, the Aravallis account for about 33% of the total land area, and there is 'no clarity whatsoever' on how much of this will be excluded from protection under the revised definition proposed by the government.
Mr Ramesh also warned that adopting 'local relief profiles' as a baseline could exclude many hills over 100 metres in height from statutory protection. “With the revised definition, most hilly tracts of the Aravallis in the Delhi NCR will get opened up for real estate development, adding to environmental stress,” he says.
Referring to Sariska Tiger Reserve, the Congress leader accused the Union government of overlooking the ecological risks of fragmentation. He argued that carving up what is essentially an interconnected ecosystem would damage its ecological value, pointing to examples where such fragmentation has already caused 'havoc'.
“The Aravallis are part of our natural heritage and need substantial restoration and meaningful protection. Why is the Modi government hellbent on redefining them? To what end? For whose benefit?” he asked, also questioning why recommendations of professional bodies such as the Forest Survey of India were allegedly being ignored.
Earlier, Union environment minister Mr Yadav, addressing a press conference, says the Supreme Court’s 100-metre criterion is being misinterpreted and urged citizens to stop spreading misinformation.
Mr Yadav says the total area of the Aravalli range is about 147,000sqkm, of which mining is allowed in only 0.19%, while nearly 90% of the area remains under protection. He also stressed that no mining is permitted in Delhi’s Aravalli hills and that existing mining operations elsewhere are subject to strict environmental compliance and monitoring.
The minister added that the revised definition does not dilute protection but, in fact, strengthens it by introducing objective mapping, clearer boundaries and landscape-level conservation planning.
On Sunday, the ministry had rejected claims that the Aravallis face any imminent ecological threat. In a
detailed statement issued on 21 December 2025, the Ministry stated that afforestation drives, eco-sensitive zone notifications and strict monitoring of mining and urban activities continue to protect the hill range which serves as a barrier against desertification and a key groundwater recharge zone.
The ministry says the Supreme Court, in its November 2025 judgement, accepted the recommendations of a committee led by the MoEFCC to establish a uniform, scientific definition of the Aravalli Hills and Ranges for regulating mining. The definition is based on landforms rising 100mtr (metres) or more above local relief and includes supporting slopes and interconnected ranges within a 500-metre proximity.
It clarified that mining is absolutely prohibited in core and inviolate areas, including protected areas, tiger reserves, eco-sensitive zones, wetlands and CAMPA plantations, and that the apex court has imposed a freeze on new mining leases until a comprehensive management plan for sustainable mining (MPSM) is prepared by the Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education.
Despite the government’s assurances, Mr Ramesh maintained that redefining the Aravallis risks weakening ecological safeguards. The sharp exchange has set the stage for a wider political and environmental debate over how India balances conservation with development in one of its most fragile and historically significant landscapes.
