Forward of Supreme Court docket Aravali listening to, Jairam Ramesh asks inexperienced ministry 4 questions | India Information

NEW DELHI: A day earlier than Supreme Court docket hears the suo motu civil case on the brand new definition of Aravali hills and ranges, Congress common secretary Jairam Ramesh on Sunday wrote to surroundings minister Bhupender Yadav, asking him 4 questions pertaining to evaluation of Forest Survey of India (FSI) and views of one of many members of the central empowered committee (CEC) on the problem.Claiming that the acceptance of the brand new definition of the Aravallis will result in fragmentation and undermining of the geographical and ecological integrity of the vary, Ramesh stated there have been understandably widespread considerations with the redefinition of the hills that restricted them to landforms having an elevation of 100m or extra.The surroundings ministry has clarified that the uniform definition would depart out solely a fraction (practically 0.2%) of the Aravalis for mining, FSI on Dec 23 refuted the claims that it carried out a research displaying 90% of the hills could be left unprotected following the Nov 20 judgment. Nonetheless, Ramesh raised the query. “Is it not a indisputable fact that the FSI, in a communication to the ministry of surroundings, forests and local weather change dated Sept 20, 2025 had said the next: The smaller hill formations of the Aravalis function pure boundaries towards desertification… As a result of the protecting impact of a barrier towards windblown sand scales instantly with its top, even modest hills of 10 to 30 m act as sturdy pure wind breaks?”He additional requested, “Is it not a indisputable fact that the definition of the Aravali Hills and Ranges in Rajasthan since 2012 had been primarily based on a report of the FSI of Aug 28, 2010 that had stated the next: All such areas having a slope of three levels or extra shall be delineated as hills… Is it not a indisputable fact that CEC, constituted by the SC, had in its report of Nov 7, 2025, concluded that 164 mining leases in Rajasthan had been contained in the Aravali Hills and Ranges as outlined by the then-prevailing FSI definition?”