Considering ban on mining in area 10 km around Chittorgarh Fort: Rajasthan to Supreme Court
The Rajasthan government on Tuesday informed the Supreme Court that it is “actively considering” a complete ban on mining activities up to 10 kilometres from the outer boundary of the historic Chittorgarh Fort, seeking time to place on record its affidavit.
The statement was made by Additional Advocate General Shiv Mangal Sharma, appearing on behalf of the state, before a bench comprising Justice Pankaj Mithal and Justice S V Bhatti.
The matter arises from a long-standing legal battle between Birla Corporation Limited and the State of Rajasthan and others, regarding mining operations near the Fort, a UNESCO World Heritage site. The current proceedings relate to the Special Leave Petition (SLP) filed by Birla Corporation against the Rajasthan High Court’s May 2012 order in Bhanwar Singh vs Union of India, which had prohibited all mining and blasting activities within a 10 km radius of the fort wall, directing cancellation of mining leases in the restricted zone, Sharma said.
The Supreme Court, while dealing with the matter earlier, had directed Indian Institute of Technology – Indian School Mines, Dhanbad, to conduct a detailed scientific study on the impact of mining and blasting. In its report submitted in January 2024, the institute had concluded that controlled blasting beyond 5 km radius may be allowed, stating no significant deterioration to the environment or structural risk to the fort, as per Sharma. However, several stakeholders and experts raised serious objections to the methodology and findings of the IIT report.
Key objections raised included claims that the report did not follow established protocols for blast impact and vibration studies, that it failed to analyse soil and rock structure, which is critical to understanding the propagation of vibrations, that no long-term monitoring or time-series modelling was proposed, and that the definition and effectiveness of “controlled blasting” was left undefined and unverified.
Additionally, limited sampling, lack of joint institutional study, and insufficient modelling of combined effects of rainfall, temperature, and vibrations were highlighted as major shortcomings.
Sharma said that experts from institutions such as the Central Building Research Institute (CBRI), Geological Survey of India (GSI), Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), and even a Parliamentary Standing Committee on Mines, chaired by MP Rakesh Singh, have submitted opinions or reports broadly in favour of restrictions on mining in the vicinity of the fort.
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The CBRI and ASI emphasised the fragile condition of Chittorgarh Fort’s structure and its vulnerability to underground vibrations and blasting activities, even if done in a controlled manner.
Environmental implications were also highlighted during the hearing. Chittorgarh district hosts eight rivers, including Bedach and Gambhiri, which flow adjacent to or through mining areas. Local testimonies gathered during public hearings have reported discharge of polluted water into rivers from mining operations, in violation of the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974.
The total extent of mining in the area is said to be substantial as major leases for limestone mining span 4,360 hectares, with an annual output exceeding 11 million tonnes. Minor mineral leases cover 260 hectares, with production exceeding 5.2 million tonnes — all extracted via open-cast methods.
