Alwar: Supreme Court-appointed high-powered committee on Aravalli protection held a public consultation at Circuit House on Friday, hearing submissions from environmentalists, villagers, NGOs, conservation experts, mining lease holders, workers, farmers and project proponents.Memorandums sought sustainable development alongside conservation, action against illegal mining and encroachment, environmental and social assessment of the region, protection of local livelihoods, and stricter enforcement of forest and wildlife laws.The consultation followed Supreme Court’s May 25 order in a suo motu petition. The committee is scheduled to tour Aravalli region till Aug 10 to examine definition and demarcation issues, ecology, biodiversity and sustainable mining, and submit its report by Aug 31.Committee chairperson Kanchan Devi (IFS), DG, ICFRE, said the panel was in Alwar to hear views on Aravalli conservation and examine all inputs. She said the committee would visit other locations and villages, and could return if more time was needed, adding the panel would submit a complete report.Member Subhash Ashutosh, DIG (Forest), MoEFCC, said inputs were received both in support of and against mining. He said Aravalli range spans four states over about 1,44,000 sq km and falls within the committee’s scope, with a comprehensive review to be reflected in Aug 31 report.Environmentalists expressed concern that permitting mining would harm the region, which has seen environmental degradation, contradicting the goals of preservation. Green activist Rajesh Krishna Sidd alleged the exercise was a formality and questioned the committee’s authority to determine Aravali, warning that mining disrupts the region’s ecology. Other speakers opposing mining said permitting activity in Aravalli and near Sariska would damage the reserve and tourism and claimed groundwater levels had fallen sharply over the years.Mining lease holders defended regulated operations. Mine owner Subodh Agrawal said forest conservation norms were being complied with in Alwar, and that legal mining around Sariska was outside prohibited areas and carried govt approvals.
