Overview
- After the Supreme Court accepted a 100‑metre elevation definition on November 20, the environment ministry held a December 8 meeting and on December 17 asked Survey of India to delineate Aravalli hills using that metric.
- The ministry tasked ICFRE to draft a Management Plan for Sustainable Mining, set up oversight and technical committees, and directed central agencies to share district‑wise geological and mining data.
- Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan and Gujarat have been told to halt new mining leases until the plan is completed, and ICFRE has been asked to propose additional no‑go zones for mining.
- Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav rejected Congress claims that the redefinition removes protection for over 90% of the range, while protests in Jaipur and opposition leaders cited FSI figures to argue most low‑lying landforms would fall outside protection.
- A petition by former forest officer R.P. Balwan seeking broader FSI‑based protection is listed for a Supreme Court hearing on January 7, as the ministry maintains the new definition does not dilute controls and notes mining is currently permissible in roughly 0.2% of the Aravalli area.