Thane (Maha), Dec 19 : A 20-year-old man was injured when his friend accidentally shot at him from a country-made revolver here in Maharashtra, police said Wednesday

A group of friends was chatting on a roadside at Kisan Nagar locality in Wagle Estate area on Tuesday night when one of them took out his revolver to show it to them, senior police inspector S M Patil said.

While the man was showing the gun, he allegedly pulled the trigger accidentally and shot his friend Vijay Yadav in the stomach, the official said.

Yadav was immediately rushed to a private hospital where he was undergoing treatment, Patil said.

One person, whose identity was not revealed, was arrested and was booked under IPC section 338 (causing grievous hurt by act endangering life or personal safety of others) and provisions of the Maharashtra Police Act.

A probe was on into the incident and the police were also trying to ascertain how the man got the weapon and whether he had a valid licence for it, the official said.

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Jaipur (PTI): Congress leader Ashok Gehlot on Thursday urged the Centre to reconsider its definition of the Aravallis, warning that any damage to the mountain range posed a serious threat to the ecological future of north India.

Gehlot, a former Rajasthan chief minister, changed his social media profile picture in support of the nationwide 'SaveAravalli' campaign amid growing debate over mining and environmental safeguards in the Aravalli Range.

It was his symbolic protest against the new interpretation under which hills lower than 100 metres are no longer being recognised as part of the Aravalli system, he said.

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"The Aravalli cannot be judged by tape measures or height alone. It must be assessed by its ecological importance," Gehlot said, adding that the revised definition raised "a big question" over the future of north India.

Appealing to the Centre and the Supreme Court, Gehlot said the issue must be reconsidered in the interest of future generations and environmental security. He also urged citizens to participate in the campaign by changing their display pictures online to draw attention to the issue.

He said the Aravalli range functioned as a natural green wall against the expansion of the Thar desert and extreme heatwaves, protecting Delhi, Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh. Opening up smaller hills and so-called gap areas for mining would allow desertification to advance rapidly, he warned.

Gehlot also flagged concerns over air pollution, saying the hills and forests of the Aravallis acted as the "lungs" of the National Capital Region by checking dust storms and absorbing pollutants.

"When pollution levels are so alarming even with the Aravalli standing, one can imagine how disastrous the situation will be without it," he said.

Highlighting the water crisis, the former chief minister said the rocky terrain of the Aravallis played a crucial role in groundwater recharge by channelising rainwater underground.

"If the hills are destroyed, drinking water shortages will intensify, wildlife will disappear and the entire ecology will be pushed into danger," he said.

Gehlot argued that, from a scientific perspective, the Aravallis was a continuous chain and that even smaller hillocks were as vital as higher peaks.