Aravalli Panel Faces Heat Over Field Visits, Locals Say Mining-Hit Villages Were Left Out
Rural communities and social activists have raised concerns over field visits conducted by the Supreme Court-appointed Aravalli committee, alleging that it failed to visit villages affected by mining and did not hold meaningful consultations with the people most directly impacted. The high-powered committee has been tasked with independently reviewing the Centre's report on the definition and…
The Supreme Court-appointed Aravalli committee has faced criticism for its field visits and consultations, with rural communities and activists alleging that villages impacted by mining were excluded from the process. The committee, tasked with reviewing the Centre's report on the Aravalli hill range, conducted visits in Gurugram, Alwar, Ajmer, and Udaipur between August 6 and 10.
However, activists argue that meaningful consultations with rural communities across the 64 districts of the Aravalli range in five states - Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, and Gujarat - were not held. The committee's visits did not include Jodhpura in Rajasthan's Kotputli-Behror district, where residents have complained about the impact of UltraTech Cement Limited's mining operations.
Activists also allege that the mining lobby and local administration dominated public hearings during the field visits, threatening civil society members and changing the timing of a public hearing in Udaipur. These issues cast doubt on the inclusivity and representativeness of the consultation process, as many affected communities struggle with access to participate in such exercises.
The Aravalli Virasat Jan Abhiyaan has now demanded an extension for the Aug 31 deadline for the committee's report and urged the panel to visit all districts within the Aravalli range.
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