Save Aravalli: A desert will form near Delhi in a few years; 31 hills of the Aravalli range have disappeared under the guise of legal and illegal mining.

Thirty-one hills of the Aravalli range, which are vital to the entire NCR region, including Delhi, have been completely destroyed by the mining mafia. Many more hills are on the verge of disappearing. This is why dust storms from Rajasthan are reaching Delhi more frequently.

Environmentalists believe that if the new definition is implemented, more than 90 percent of the Aravalli hills will be destroyed. In that case, the Rajasthan desert will extend to Delhi, greenery will vanish, and breathing will become difficult for people in the NCR. The degradation of the Aravalli range is a major reason behind the increasing air pollution levels in the NCR.

Until 1970, tigers were also seen in the Aravalli hill region. Gradually, land and mining mafias became so active in the area that not only the hills but also many wild animals, including tigers, disappeared. Now, only a few leopards, hyenas, deer, nilgai, and rabbits remain. People used to visit the Aravalli valleys near Hodal to enjoy the scenery, but that area has completely vanished.

Several hills near Nangal Dargu in Narnaul district have disappeared. Three to four hills beyond Sohna in Gurugram are completely gone. Similarly, the hills in Khwaspur, Mahendragarh, have almost disappeared. The situation is worse in the Nuh area. Several hills around Tauru have been destroyed. Many hills in the Nuh area, bordering Rajasthan, are on the verge of extinction.

The desert will be near Delhi in a few years.

Environmentalists believe that at the rate the hills are disappearing, the Rajasthan desert will be near Delhi within a few years. This will increase air pollution to such an extent that breathing will become difficult for people. The greenery of the Aravalli range used to absorb dust and soil, preventing pollution levels from rising. The biggest loss due to the destruction of the hills is the loss of greenery. It was the greenery that prevented dust and soil from rising into the air. Only One Location in Gurugram-Faridabad Was Permitted for Mining

Environmentalist and retired forest conservator Dr. RP Balwan says that he worked in the forest department for a long time. Mining was permitted in the Gurugram and Faridabad areas, only in the Khoori Jamalpur area. Under this pretext, rampant illegal mining was carried out in most of the Aravalli areas under both districts. Thousands of pits were created. In most areas, the groundwater has completely disappeared.

Most illegal mining took place between 2000 and 2004.  A complete ban on mining has been in effect since March 18, 2004. Despite this, illegal mining is still taking place in Gurugram, Faridabad, Palwal, and Nuh, especially in the Nuh district. Mining is permitted against the rules in Mahendragarh, Bhiwani, and Charkhi Dadri.

Mining Mafia Changes Tactics

After the ban on mining, the mafia changed its tactics. Now, when there is a wedding ceremony or a function in the area where a lot of fireworks are used, they blast the rocks in the hills during that time. This prevents people from becoming suspicious. Later, when they get a chance, the mafia members transport the stones away using dumpers or tractors. They have also devised another method. They strike the mountain at a place where the stones can easily fall. This method of mining by striking the mountains is used more frequently in the Gurugram and Faridabad areas.

The informants of the mining mafia are stationed not only on the mountain peaks but also at the beginning of the roads leading to the hilly areas. As soon as a vehicle from the forest or mining department arrives in the area, they are informed. This makes the miners active. The mining mafia members are also armed. If they are about to be caught, they attack the forest, mining, or police department teams. Three years ago, a DSP was publicly crushed to death in the Tauru area. The police team has been attacked several times.

I am a resident of Khandasa village in Gurugram district. I have witnessed the beauty of the Aravalli range and am now watching it being gradually destroyed. There used to be waterfalls everywhere. They have all disappeared due to mining. It is being said that mountains in the Aravalli range less than 100 meters high will not be considered part of the range, in which case nothing will be left. Neither the Aravalli range nor its wildlife will survive. The wildlife population is already significantly depleted. People in Delhi and the entire NCR region breathe because of the Aravalli range. - Raj Chauhan, Film Actor

The definition of the Aravalli range given by the Central Ministry of Environment and Forests clearly states that mountains less than 100 meters high will not fall under the Aravalli range. If this is not the case, then why doesn't Union Minister of Environment and Forests Bhupender Yadav make the complete document public? This new definition of the Aravalli range has been created to protect thousands of farmhouses and give a free hand to land and mining mafias.