Congress slams Modi govt’s redefinition of Aravalli hills, warns of environmental damage
New Delhi: The Congress party has said that the redefinition of the Aravalli hills will render over 90% of the range unprotected and open it up for mining and other activities. The Aravalli range is a 670-kilometer-long mountain range in northwestern India.
According to Kashmir Media Service, Congress General Secretary and former Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh said there was a contradiction between the Indian Prime Minister’s “global talk and local walk” on environmental issues. He said that the BJP government was intentionally attacking environmental balance by weakening environmental protection laws and relaxing air pollution regulations.
The new definition states that an Aravalli hill is a landform that is at least 100 meters above the local terrain. Ramesh pointed out that the Modi government’s redefinition of the Aravallis, that goes against expert opinion, is dangerous and disastrous.
Jairam Ramesh further stated that according to Forest Survey of India (FSI) data that is authoritative, only 8.7% of the Aravalli hills that are higher than 20 meters exceed 100 metres. Therefore, he argued, the height criteria are dubious, and the entire Aravalli range should be protected, regardless of height. KMS—16S
