Illegal mining at Aravalli: 582 complaints but one conviction in 6 years

Haryana police makes submission before National Green Tribunal about its investigation

The destruction of Aravallis, the 692-km-long mountain range starting near Delhi and ending in Gujarat’s Ahmedabad, due to illegal mining and real estate construction is well known. Some 9 million tonnes of minerals were excavated illegally at the range between 2011 and 2017, according to a 2019 report by the national auditor.

As illegal mining at the ecologically important range continues, hardly anyone is convicted for it, shows data submitted by the Haryana police to the National Green Tribunal (NGT).

There were 582 complaints against illegal mining in the range in Haryana’s Faridabad, Nuh, and Gurugram between January 1, 2017