"Debate Over Regulating Legal and Illegal Mining in Aravallis"
Aravalli Ecosystem Landscape
a proposed framework treating the Aravallis as an interconnected ecological system rather than a single elevation rule
Cumulative-impact assessment
evaluating a mine's combined effect on surrounding ecology rather than assessing each lease alone
The Aravalli Range is one of the world's oldest fold mountain systems, formed during the Precambrian Era, well before the Himalayas took shape. It runs roughly 700 kilometres across Gujarat, Rajasthan, Haryana and Delhi, acting as a natural barrier against the Thar Desert, recharging groundwater, and supporting forest-dwelling tribal communities. Mineral wealth in this belt is not a recent discovery. Ganeshwar, a Chalcolithic site in the Aravalli foothills of Rajasthan, is known for its copper artefacts, showing that extraction here goes back to well before recorded history, long predating even the medieval-era zinc mining at Jawar that continues today.
Environmental protection of the Aravallis rests on the Forest Conservation Act, 1980 and the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, with the Supreme Court actively restricting mining and construction since the 1990s. Enforcement has stayed weak mainly because the legal boundary of the Aravallis was never settled. A panel's 2025 proposal to define the hills using a 100-metre elevation threshold would have excluded most of the range from protection, prompting a court stay and, eventually, a High-Powered Committee. That committee has now proposed an Aravalli Ecosystem Landscape approach, treating the range as an interconnected system rather than a single terrain rule.
A legal mine operates within defined boundaries, follows environmental conditions, manages overburden, and undertakes land reclamation under regulatory monitoring. Illegal mining follows none of this. It typically targets stone itself rather than a processed mineral, using dynamite and crushers to feed urban construction demand. A recent government audit in Rajasthan found illegal extraction near a substantial share of test-checked mining leases, pointing to weak inspection and monitoring systems rather than an absence of law. …
Consider the following pairs:
(Historical place) — (Well-known for)
1.Burzahom — Rock-cut shrines
2.Chandraketugarh — Terracotta art
3.Ganeshwar — Copper artefacts
Which of the pairs given above is/are correctly matched?
Which of the following statements about environmental legislation relevant to protecting the Aravalli Hills is/are correct?
1.The Forest Conservation Act, 1980 requires central government approval before forest land is diverted for non-forest use.
2.The Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 empowers the central government to restrict industrial or mining activity in ecologically sensitive areas.
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
Consider the following statements about the Aravalli Range:
1.It was formed during the Precambrian Era, making it older than the Himalayas.
2.It stretches across four states: Gujarat, Rajasthan, Haryana and Delhi.
3.It is the principal source of the Ganga river system.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
With reference to the Supreme Court-appointed High-Powered Committee on the Aravalli Hills, which of the following statements is correct?
With reference to mineral resources of the Aravalli region, consider the following pairs:
Mineral : Associated location
1.Wollastonite : Udaipur
2.Zinc : Jawar
3.Copper, Tungsten and Rock Phosphate : Jhamar Kotra
How many of the above pairs are correctly matched?
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