Illegal mining in Aravallis behind increased sandstorms in Rajasthan: Study

The disappearance of the hills in the Aravalli range as a result of illegal mining, land encroachment and urbanisation has led to an increase in sandstorms in Rajasthan, according to a study by the Central University Rajasthan.

The study, done by Professor Sharma and PhD scholar Alok Raj, was titled Assessment of land-use dynamics of the Aravalli range (India) using integrated geospatial and CART approach.

It was recently published in the international journal Earth Science Informatics'.

"The disappearance of hills is one of the reasons behind rising sandstorms. Evidence suggests that places which saw the vanishing hills, like Bharatpur, Dholpur, Jaipur, and Chittorgarh, have been facing more sandstorms than usual," said LK Sharma, professor and HOD Environmental Science at CURAJ.

In April and May this year, several of these areas were swept by sandstorms and rain, which even claimed several lives.

According to the report, at least 31 hills in the upper Aravalli range (Haryana-northern Rajasthan) have disappeared in the last two decades besides several other hills in the lower and middle range of the hills.

In the study conducted during the period 1975 to 2019, it was found that forest areas, turned into settlement areas, were one of the prominent reasons behind the disappearance of hills.

The study results showed that 3676 sq km and 776.8 sq km of land became barren and settlement from 1975 to 2019, 5772.7 sq km (7.63 per cent) of forest land has decreased in Aravalli. By 2059, a total of 16360.8 sq km (21.64 per cent) of forest land will be converted to a settlement class.

"The use of a vast quantity of natural resources for the fulfilment of human needs has greatly deteriorated the environment. Due to the weak law enforcement and no action on illegal mining, the remaining hills will disappear very soon," Sharma said.

Scores of Aravalli hills have vanished in the past 20 years due to unchecked mining and urbanisation, posing a threat to the flora and fauna of one of the world's oldest mountain ranges, he added.

This has also led to increased man-animal conflict where leopards, deer and chinkara enter into human settlements for food. Rare plants like Neel, Chona kurinji and Karun kurinji also face wipe-out threats, the study said.

The disappearance of hills at the upper level was recorded in Naraina, Kalwar, Kotputli, Jhalana and Sariska with heights of 200 metres to 600 metres above sea level.

"Until 1999, 10,462 sq km in the range was covered with dry deciduous forest. This has been reduced to 6116 sq km (41 per cent) in 2019," Sharma said.

The report makes a special mention of rising dust storms in the state every year since 2018 which claimed many lives and caused damage to properties.

The report also red flags marble dumping yards in the entire range -- from Delhi to Gujarat. It suggests that mining leases granted by Rajasthan, which constitutes 80 per cent of the range -- Gujarat (10 per cent), Haryana (7 per cent) and Delhi (3 per cent) -- be reviewed and suspended in vulnerable areas.

The other essential decisive strategies which must be adopted, include effective legislative and regulatory measures to be implemented within the Aravalli range to limit increasing human intervention, the study suggests.

Measures should be taken to reduce illegal mining and land encroachment within the range and consistent field monitoring, forest prevention, and clearing among others should also be undertaken, it said.