Rajasthan govt gives 40 mine leases near Sariska- Oct 21, 2010,

Rajasthan govt gives 40 mine leases near Sariska

Rachna Singh, TNN, Oct 21, 2010, 01.43am IST


JAIPUR: The beauty of the Aravali-flanked Sariska Reserve may soon be a thing of the past with the Rajasthan government granting 40 new mining leases in the eco-sensitive zone, something that'll leave the area pock-marked with quarries and pose a threat to an ambitious tiger rehabilitation project.

The government sanctioned the leases on Tuesday on the plea that the Aravali range, where stone mining had been sanctioned, is less than 100m in height, which is not considered a hill as per state government norms.

Earlier this year, the Supreme Court banned quarrying for stone in the Aravalis of neighbouring Haryana, holding mining companies guilty of violating zoning laws and not filling up excavated craters. Later it said some mining may be allowed but only when the Haryana government adopts a mining policy based on an SC-appointed panel's guidelines.

While Rajasthan authorities have interpreted norms to their convenience to sanction fresh leases, mining could damage the ecology of the region and jeopardise survival of the big cats. Five tigers have already been relocated to Sariska from Ranthambore and forest officials plan to shift more in the coming months.

Reports suggest the new mining leases issued in the the Aravalli-flanked Sariska Reserve have gone to a few Haryana-based companies at villages like Jaisinghpura, Malana, Goverdhanpura, Palpura and Jamwa Ramgarh, in the vicinity of Sariska sanctuary. On October 12, TOI had carried a report about illegal mining in these areas.

``This shows how powerful and manipulative the mining lobby is. Even if the justification the department of mines and geology and forests is giving is that the hills are less than 100m in height, they should know that there is no such classification by the Supreme Court. This is the department`s own creation and a gross violation of Forest (Conservation) Act 1980,`` said Y K Singh Chauhan, conservator of forests, ministry of environment and forests. However, V S Singh, principal secretary, forests and environment, who heads the special committee on Aravalli notification in Alwar, says, ``These are all fresh cases in Ramgarh area screened by a committee and don`t have the Aravalli hills portion. Based on the state government 100 meter yardstick and complying with the Supreme Court and MoEF guidelines, these leases will have to follow environmental norms.`` He claimed new leases will not disturb forest areas and are not near any water body.


Rajasthan govt gives 40 mine leases near Sariska - The Times of India