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The Supreme Court on Thursday said illegal mining in the Aravali range in Rajasthan must stop
The court’s amicus curiae, advocate K. Parameshwar, said the Rajasthan government was trying to pull wool over the eyes of the court by considering only those mountains which were 100 metres or more in height as part of the Aravali Range; it did not treat shorter hills as part of the range, which is a problematic classification
Aravalli range
The Aravalli Range is a mountain range in Northern-Western India, running approximately 670 km in a south-west direction, starting near Delhi, passing through southern Haryana, Rajasthan, and ending in Ahmedabad Gujarat.
The highest peak is Guru Shikhar on Mount Abu at 1,722 m
The Aravalli Range is arguably the oldest geological feature on Earth, having its origin in the Proterozoic era.
The Aravalli Range is rich in natural resources and serves as check to the growth of the western desert.
The Aravalli Range, an eroded stub of ancient mountains, is believed to be the oldest range of fold mountains in India.
The natural history of the Aravalli Range dates back to times when the Indian Plate was separated from the Eurasian Plate by an ocean
It is part of the Indian Shield that formed from a series of cratonic collisions
Importance of Aravalli range
Aravali is the only geographical feature that stops dry winds from coming to the Gangetic Plains — dry winds that come from Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Aravali is a natural barrier.
If we lose the Aravali, we invite the arid, dry climate to enter from Afghanistan and Pakistan
Also 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
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