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Aravalli Bachao Citizens Movement reply on protection of Aravalli range in Haryana, 27/04/2023

  • 27/04/2023

Rejoinder on behalf of Aravalli Bachao Citizens Movement Vs Union of India & Others dated 27/04/2023.

The rejoinder was to the affidavit of the Chief Secretary, Haryana (dated April 12, 2023), Mines and Geology Department, government of Haryana (April 11, 2023), affidavit of Haryana Pollution Control Board (March 10, 2023) and affidavit of Director General of Police (April 12, 2023).

Aravalli Bachao Citizens Movement had filed the application regarding illegal sand and stone mining happening in several locations of the Aravalli range in Haryana.

The applicant organisation has complained about fresh cases of illegal mining in Nuh district and Kadarpur and Baliawas villages in Gurugram district as well as in areas mentioned in the Original Application, where illegal mining is continuing.

The Chief Secretary, Haryana, in his report had said that Aravalli Rejuvenation Board would be set up.

The applicant organisation has recommended that the Aravalli Rejuvenation Board being set up by the Haryana government should look into the management of the entire Aravallis range in all the Aravalli districts of Haryana. The Board should look into overall protection of Aravallis and take into account the judgments of the Supreme Court pertaining to the protection of the Aravalli range specifically the order dated May 14, 2008 (M C Mehta Vs Union of India & Others) which prohibited clearing and breaking up of land for any activity.

Aravalli Rejuvenation Board must be an autonomous statutory authority with atleast 50 per cent of its members being from civil society groups working on the Aravallis, representation from grassroot rural communities living in the Aravalli foothills, independent ecologists, wildlife experts, water experts, geologists, climate scientists, legal experts and others, the report recommended.