Aravalli Crackdown: Illegal Mining Halted, SC Forms Panel, Gehlot Clarifies Lease

• District administration launched a major campaign against illegal mining in Aravalli, seizing 16 vehicles and 2 excavators.
• Collector Dr. Jitendra Kumar Soni issued strict orders for 24-hour surveillance, vowing no compromise on Aravalli's natural structure.
• Former CM Ashok Gehlot welcomed the SC's cognizance, clarifying a 1-hectare family mining lease in Jodhpur was cancelled immediately.
• Supreme Court expressed concerns over a new Aravalli definition, fearing uncontrolled mining, and proposed a high-level expert committee.
• SC issued a complete ban on mining activities to all states, with the next hearing scheduled for January 21, 2026.

Why It Matters: Aravalli sees a major crackdown on illegal mining, SC intervenes with a ban and panel, while Gehlot addresses allegations.