Jaipur: In a clear case of too little, too late, the Centre’s recent ban on the grant of new mining leases in the Aravallis comes at a time when over 1,200 such leases already exist across these ranges in the state. The ban, announced Wednesday and framed as an effort to conserve and protect one of the world’s oldest mountain ranges, follows a public outcry over a proposed new definition of the Aravallis.The more than 1,200 leases in Rajasthan together make up 17,393 hectares – or roughly 174 sq kms – of land that remains under mining, reflecting how deeply such activities have penetrated the state’s Aravallis. District-wise data shows Rajsamand alone accounting for over 540 leases, with Udaipur and Jaipur following at 162 and 139 leases, respectively. Alwar, Sirohi and Bhilwara districts have more than 250 leases between them.“At present, most mining leases in the Aravallis are under dispute and pending before courts. Some mines are closed, while others continue to operate,” said a senior mining official.To top it all, the Centre’s ban comes at a time when the state’s mining department was actively considering proposals to lease out additional pits for excavation in the Aravallis. In fact, the department had issued notifications for 126 new leases only last month, according to an official source. “Fifty of these leases are located in Aravalli districts,” the source said.Mining expert Pradeep Singh said the new ban does not retrospectively cancel existing permissions and lets hundreds of leases continue across Rajasthan. “In many areas where leases are operational, environmental degradation is visible and, in several places, irreversible. Hills have been hollowed out, forest cover has thinned and natural drainage systems have been disrupted,” he said.The state’s aggregate mining footprint extends far beyond the Aravallis, with 10,060 mining leases out of 16,116 currently operational, along with nearly 18,000 quarry licences.Kishore Kumawat, another mining expert, said area-wise data within the Aravalli region shows Udaipur accounting for 6,084 hectares under mining, followed by Sojat with 2,575.35, Bhilwara with 1,229 and Rajsamand with nearly 800 hectares.
