Union minister says builders have eye on Aravallis, & public anxiety is high in Gurugram, Rewari, Nuh and Faridabad over these environmental questions.
Court rulings, inspections and bans have come and gone. In Rajasthan’s Aravallis, villagers say illegal mining continues unchecked and emboldened. They have one hope – Kailash Meena.
R.P. Balwan moved SC seeking changes to its 20 November order that says sustainable mining would cover only ranges above 100m, exposing lower ecologically vital areas to mining.
A “technical” redefinition of terms can become a loophole. Lower hillocks and connecting formations—often ecologically crucial—risk being treated as dispensable.
The Supreme Court has accepted a definition that counts Aravalli hills only if they are 100 metres or above. Citizen groups say this puts much of the range at risk.
Aravalli Hills exhibit ecological fragility & include significant biodiversity, act as green barrier against degradation of land in Indo-Gangetic plains, Haryana & UP, notes court.
One of the biggest anti-encroachment drives in Aravalli history started in June. With it, a major slice of Delhi-NCR’s famous farmhouse culture is being dismantled. And there is more to come.
The collusion between the new class of bureaucrats, politicians, businessmen and trade union bosses perpetuates itself partly because of the short-run benefits and partly because they see no way out of the system, wrote author MH Mody in 1980.
IAF is firming up plans to revamp airlift capabilities with medium transport aircraft that will be assembled in India & serve as its main workhorse. Embraer is leading contender as of now.
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