This Is Exclusive: The Agusta-Westland Coverup | Movement To Save Aravallis Drags On

In today’s This Is Exclusive, we bring you two top developments: In a major breakthrough, a 2,334-page affidavit mentioning that the government batted for mining of critical, strategic and atomic minerals at the Aravalli hills range has been accessed by Republic TV.

The page 100 of the affidavit revealed chilling details regarding mining ministry request on Aravallis which read, "The Committee notes that in the request of the ministry of mines dated 22nd November, 2024, mentioning Aravalli Hills are host to important minerals such as Lead, Zinc, Silver, Copper ore, etc. are deep seated and critical minerals essential for economic development and transition to cleaner sources of energy," which points that mining industry itself mentioned that Aravalli hosts important minerals.

The Supreme Court's acceptance of the Centre's definition of the Aravalli hills on November 20 has sparked widespread controversy. As per the ruling, any hills in the range with an elevation of less than 100 metres are not subject to restrictions on mining. In effect, any landform within Aravalli districts must have at least 100 metres of elevation above the local relief - including its slopes and adjoining areas - to be treated as part of the Aravalli Hills.

The decision, however, has created nationwide furore as the Aravallis- one of the world’s oldest mountain ranges- span nearly 650 km from Delhi to Gujarat, with about two-thirds of the range running through 15 districts of Rajasthan. The hills play a crucial role in protecting the region’s ecology, but sustained mining and encroachments are pushing the ancient range towards environmental degradation.

The Aravalli Hills, older than even the Himalayas, also forms the backbone of north India’s ecology and are called the 'green lungs of north India' because these forests act as a crucial natural barrier, filtering Delhi-NCR's air, trapping dust from the Thar Desert, slowing desertification, regulating local climate, and supporting vital ecosystems and groundwater.