The mining mafia is destroying Aravallis

The list of attacks on State officials, police personnel, activists, and citizens by India’s mining mafia is long. This week, one more name was added to it when people involved in illegal stone mining in Haryana’s Nuh district killed deputy superintendent of police (DSP) Surender Singh.

Illegal mining of the Aravallis is thriving, despite a 2002 Supreme Court (SC) ban on mining. According to state data, there has been a four-fold rise in filing First Information Reports (FIRs) in the last three years; the highest number (239) was registered in Nuh (2021-22). A 2018 Central Empowered Committee report found that 25% of the Aravalli range was lost due to illegal mining in Rajasthan since 1968. This can be disastrous. Besides being a recharge zone for groundwater and home to varied flora and fauna, the Aravallis arrests the eastward march of the Thar desert, minimising the threat of desertification to the National Capital Region. The deforestation is also responsible for sand storms.

According to a report of the Union environment ministry, in 2018, more than 115,000 illegal mining cases were registered, and over 80,000 court cases are pending. Along with the human and ecological costs, the State loses out on revenue. This is why, in 2019, the Centre suggested that illegal mining must be treated like plundering public property, and the total value should be claimed instead of levelling token fines. Many political parties have spoken out against the murder of Singh, and a ₹1 crore ex-gratia has been announced. While this is important, a real tribute to those killed by the mining mafia will be to deploy extensive resources to tackle the problem and show decisive political and administrative will.