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Aravalli Row: Minister Bhupender Yadav Defends SC Order, Says Only 0.19% Area Open for Mining

In this Special Report, India Today's Devang Kurwadwan tracks the growing protests across North India against the Supreme Court's new definition of the Aravalli Hills. From Gurugram to Jaipur, environmental activists and citizens are demonstrating against the revised criteria, which they claim strips protection from nearly 90% of the fragile mountain range. The controversy centres on the rule that only hills 100 metres or taller qualify for protection. However, Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav has pushed back against the outcry, calling the charges baseless. He asserts that 'only a tiny 0.19%' of the total 1.4 lakh square kilometre Aravalli region is open for mining, while the vast majority remains protected. The programme highlights the political slugfest, with the opposition accusing the government of favouring the mining mafia, while residents in villages like those near Minister Rao Narveer Singh’s office demand the guideline be withdrawn to save the region’s ecological lifeline.