New Delhi, Dec. 22 -- After the Supreme Court accepted the Centre's definition of the Aravalli hills and approved recommendations for sustainable mining, there has been widespread criticism of the government with the opposition alleging collusion with mining mafia.

However, in an interview with ANI, Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav has dismissed that criticism and said that mining activity in the Aravalli range would be allowed only in a very limited area, asserting that the mountain range remains under robust ecological protection.

"Mining activity in the Aravalli range will only be possible in 0.19 per cent of the area, which is less than one per cent, and even there, no new mines have been opened... This process has been ma...