New Delhi, 25 December (H.S.): Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Bhupender Yadav, on Thursday strongly dismissed opposition claims that the Forest Survey of India (FSI) had conducted a survey showing that over 90 percent of the Aravalli mountain range lies below 100 meters in elevation.

Responding to the allegations made by Congress leader and former environment minister Jairam Ramesh, Yadav accused the Congress of spreading misinformation and asserted that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) would not allow the opposition to “loot the Aravallis again.”

Jairam Ramesh had earlier claimed, citing a so-called FSI report, that under a “new definition,” more than 90 percent of the Aravalli range would lose its protected status — potentially opening the door for mining, real estate, and other commercial activities.

Refuting these statements, Yadav said, “The FSI has not conducted any such survey, and the claims being circulated are entirely baseless.” He further targeted former Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, saying, “If Jairam Ramesh considers himself an environmentalist, he should first ask his party colleague who actually destroyed the Aravallis.”

Yadav emphasized that the Congress leaders were alarmed because the government had imposed a complete ban on mining activities across the Aravalli range from Gujarat to Delhi, a decision aimed at protecting the fragile ecosystem.

A day earlier, on Wednesday, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) issued directives to all state governments to prohibit the issuance of new mining leases across the entire Aravalli range stretching from the National Capital Region to Gujarat.

The Ministry stated that this ban applies uniformly across the Aravalli landscape and aims to preserve the geological integrity of the range by curbing illegal mining and environmental degradation.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar