To prevent the degradation of the hill range, strict enforcement of laws and stakeholder activism is needed
The Supreme Court’s expression of “shock” vis-Ã -vis the gradual disappearance of many hills of the Aravalli range isn’t surprising. For, as the apex court noted, 31 of the 128 hills have disappeared within a span of just 50 years. The problems plaguing, rather destroying, the Aravallis extend from illegal mining to deforestation and a near-complete depletion of groundwater, not to mention the loss of an ecosystem that is most crucial for the survival of not just mankind but also for wildlife, for whom these hills, one of the oldest in the world, provide a safe habitat. It is also a matter of grave concern that the loss of green cover in the Aravallis is one of the major contributing factors towards Delhi’s pollution. It is to the credit of the top court that it has set in motion a damage-control exercise by ordering a complete ban on mining in the hill range within 48 hours. But the question is: Will it make any difference? When it comes to the Aravallis, existing laws have a long history of not being enforced by the authorities. According to data available in the public domain, more than 565 violations have been reported in the last two decades of which action is pending on over 200 of them. Laws that date back to the 1990s, which have been reiterated by various courts time and again, are not being implemented. Even the apex court’s intervention to monitor the compliance of its very own orders has meant little to the violators who are hell-bent on ravaging the Aravalli range as successive administrations in Haryana and to a lesser extent Delhi and Rajasthan, look the other way. The top court had itself noted earlier this year that the state itself has been working hand-in-glove with violators. It will, therefore, be interesting to see how effectively the present order is implemented.
The moot point is that laws alone may not be enough to rescue the Aravallis from extinction. All stakeholders need to change their attitude and work towards environmental restoration. While the damage caused till date cannot be reversed, further damage can and should certainly be prevented. The world can be a better place to live in when humans and and nature coexist, with the additional benefit for the former if resident in Delhi that they may also literally breathe easier in this case. The Supreme Court should call for an extensive audit of the violations and action taken against offending parties whether private or government over the past two decades and not limit itself to bans and demolitions. It is not really their job, but nobody else apparently has the will to do so.