South 24 Parganas, Dec. 21 -- Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Bhupendra Yadav strongly rejected allegations that the Centre has diluted protections for the Aravalli hills on Sunday, asserting that nearly 90 per cent of the Aravalli landscape will remain under the protected zone. Mining will be permitted only in a minimal area, subject to strict Supreme Court scrutiny.

Addressing the controversy around the Supreme Court's recent order on the Aravalli Hills, Yadav said, "There are no relaxations on the Aravalli. The Aravalli range spans four states: Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan, and Gujarat. A petition regarding it has been pending in court since 1985."

Clarifying the debated "100-metre" definition, the Union Minist...