00:00These protests are around the Aravalli Range, one of the oldest mountain systems in the
00:10world, now at the center of a Supreme Court case on illegal mining.
00:14So, what exactly is this illegal mining?
00:17Across parts of Rajasthan, Haryana, Delhi NCR and Gujarat, limestone, sandstone, marble,
00:23gravel and other construction minerals are being extracted from the Aravalli hills without
00:27valid legal permission or beyond what existing permits allow.
00:31In many areas, mining has taken place without environmental clearance on forest land or in
00:36zones where the Supreme Court has already imposed restrictions or bans.
00:41This is not an isolated case.
00:43Court-appointed committees, satellite imagery and drone surveys have documented entire hillocks
00:48being cut down, de-query pits and heavy machinery operating outside approved lease boundaries.
00:54In some cases, even after licenses had expired or been cancelled.
00:58The Supreme Court has been dealing with this for over two decades.
01:01In 2002, the court restricted mining across large parts of the Aravalli Range, warning of
01:07irreversible environmental damage, yet inspections show illegal mining has continued.
01:13The damage goes far beyond the hills.
01:15The Aravallis are a critical groundwater recharge zone.
01:18When rock layers are blasted and hills flattened, rainwater can no longer percolate into the ground,
01:24directly affecting water availability across Rajasthan, Haryana and even Delhi.
01:29Illegal mining also strips vegetation, destroys wildlife habitats, increases dust pollution and
01:35weakens the Aravallis role as a natural barrier against desertification from the Thar Desert.
01:40Now, the Supreme Court is examining a fresh concern.
01:44A proposed definition, known as the 100-meter rule, limits protection to land within 100 meters
01:49of officially-recorded hill features.
01:52Environmental groups warn this could leave large stretches of the Aravalli outside legal
01:56protection, making them vulnerable to renewed mining.
01:59For now, the court has ordered that no fresh mining permissions be granted until scientific
02:03mapping of the Aravalli Range is completed and a sustainable mining framework is put in place.
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