Amid mounting protests, the Centre on Wednesday issued directions to states to impose a "complete ban" on granting new mining leases in the Aravallis.
This prohibition applies uniformly across the entire Aravalli landscape and is intended to preserve the integrity of the range, the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests said in a statement.
Ongoing mining activities should be regulated stringently, with additional restrictions, to ensure environmental protection and adherence to sustainable mining practices, it said.
"The directions are aimed at safeguarding the Aravallis as a continuous geological ridge extending from Gujarat to the National Capital Region and at stopping all unregulated mining activities," the statement said.
The ministry has directed the Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education (ICFRE) to identify additional areas/zones within the entire Aravallis where mining should be prohibited, over and above the areas already prohibited for mining by the Centre.
The ICFRE has also been asked to prepare a comprehensive, science-based Management Plan for Sustainable Mining (MPSM) for the entire Aravalli region. The plan, which will be placed in the public domain for wide stakeholder consultation, will assess the cumulative environmental impact and ecological carrying capacity, identify ecologically sensitive and conservation-critical areas, and lay down measures for restoration and rehabilitation, the ministry said.
"This exercise by the Centre will further enlarge the coverage of areas protected and prohibited from mining throughout the entire Aravallis, keeping in mind the local topography, ecology, and biodiversity," the statement further noted.
"The Government of India stands fully committed towards long-term protection of the Aravalli ecosystem, recognising its critical role in preventing desertification, conserving biodiversity, recharging aquifers, and environmental services for the region," the ministry asserted.