The Karma of Urbanization – The Aravalli Effect

In the first week of June 2023, a news report mentioned that sand storms from the Thar desert would be able to reach Delhi as many hills from the Aravalli Range had disappeared and hundreds have been damaged beyond repair.

Multiple sections of the hills have undergone erosion, thereby raising concerns for the safety of the national capital. Ongoing research indicates that the depletion of the Aravalli Hills has facilitated unrestricted movement for sandstorms originating from the Thar Desert, thereby giving way to its entry into the National Capital Region and western Uttar Pradesh.

The Aravalli Mountain Range is a chain of fold mountains that span approximately 670 km from Delhi to Gujarat and are predominantly situated in the states of Rajasthan and Haryana. Renowned for its age, this geological formation is considered to be among the most ancient in the world.

Despite the evolutionary process spanning centuries, the natural ecosystem has suffered significant degradation within a relatively short time span, primarily attributed to the uncontrolled and rampant practices of mining and quarrying.

Currently, the Aravalli Range has diminished and transformed into a residual hill range as a result of extensive degradation. Depletion of groundwater resources and an increase in pollution levels are also evident.

The Range exerts a significant influence on the climate patterns of not only the northwest region of India but also the neighbouring areas. Amidst the monsoon season, it functions as a buffer, causing monsoonal clouds to advance towards the eastern region encompassing Shimla and Nainital and thereby enabling the nourishment of sub-Himalayan rivers and the sustenance of the northern Indian plains.

Industrialization, pollution, deforestation, urbanization, building dams, etc. are a few examples of anthropogenic changes that have affected the Aravalli ecosystem. Because of such anthropogenic activity, the Range has rapidly deteriorated and changed topographically. The unchecked progression of unbalanced developmental activities, mining, quarrying, and the destruction of fragile forest ecosystems have been highlighted in media for years on end but the destruction continues.

Future of Aravalli Hills

The Aravalli Range contains a large number of wildlife reserves, national parks, sanctuaries, and forests across the states it is present. There is evidently a strong case for protecting the Range from indiscriminate mining and deforestation. There have been appalling stories of the terrible ruin of farming, pastures, and water sources. The Kasavati River had almost vanished.

The Range is crucial because it shapes the culture, heritage, and history, influences the geography and ecology, and ensures the economy, food, and nutrition security of millions of people living in the area.

The Role of Urban Mining

The dead are able to prolong or save lives through the donation of body organs. So can end-of-life devices and gadgets by curtailing virgin mining that damages the environment and leads to drastic climate change events.

There is growing demand for portable devices and electric vehicles led to a sevenfold increase in the cost of lithium-ion cell imports for India, from USD 180 million to over 2 billion between 2014 and 2020. This will further go up with an increasing focus on energy storage capacity unless the nation pushes for circularity and retrieves valuable materials.

India does not have considerable resources of cobalt, lithium, and nickel and is dependent on imports of these rare materials in the immediate future. As a result, the economy can get affected due to the uncertainties of geopolitical dynamics.

While lacking natural mines, India has a solid adequate potential for the creation of urban mines. Such a move might not be sustainable in the near future, but such an approach can be vital for managing India's needs in the long term.

Urban mining can help achieve a circular economy. Urban mining plays a crucial role in creating a circular economy by extracting valuable resources from electronic waste and other urban discards. By implementing innovative recycling technologies, such as advanced sorting and separation methods, urban mining reduces the need for extracting virgin materials. This process promotes resource reuse, minimizes waste, and conserves energy. Valuable metals and minerals, such as gold, silver, copper, and rare earth elements, can be recovered and reintroduced into the manufacturing process. This approach not only reduces the environmental impact of mining but also creates economic opportunities, reduces dependency on imports, and fosters a sustainable and self-sufficient resource management system.

The new Battery Waste Management and End Producer Responsibility rules enforced a few months ago are steps in the right direction to achieving a circular economy. A clear outline of roles and responsibilities for all the stakeholders can help develop a robust ecosystem for e-waste collection and urban mining.

Greenscape has been championing the urban mining revolution in India for nearly two decades and has produced a vast tonnage of precious and valuable metals.

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