NEWS

Every lease holder will have to rehabilitate and reclaim the area once mining ends in the Aravallis. The Haryana government has proposed an extensive rehabilitation plan in the Aravallis and a detailed proposal has been submitted before the special bench of the Supreme Court.The government said it would be mandatory for the lessee to deposit 10 per cent of the auction money with the State Mining Department. If the lessee fails to keep up its promise to rehabilitate the area, the amount would get forfeited to the Aravalli Rehabilitation Fund. Haryana has also proposed depositing 10 per cent of the auction money that would be set-up under the chairmanship of the state Chief Secretary. Subsequent to the court direction, the government has decided to identify 600 hectares in Faridabad for mining of minor minerals. It would notify transparent guidelines for the mining auction. While formulating the guidelines, the government would prescribe that each mining lease should not exceed 30 hectares to ensure a healthy competition. The government intends to ban establishment of a labour camp in the forest area. The area which government is likely to identify for mining would not include those that have already been operated in the past and on which restoration/ rehabilitation works are to be carried out. Areas falling within one kilometre of the Delhi-Haryana boundary, located within a distance of two kilometres from the eco-sensitive zone of Badkhal lake, in close proximity of the Gurgaon-Faridabad road or those with good and healthy vegetation cover would not be considered.