The Supreme Court has suspended its previous orders regarding the definition of the Aravalli Hills due to misinterpretations of the expert committee’s report. A three-judge Bench, led by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, emphasized the need for further clarification before implementing any recommendations or judicial directions. The Bench issued a notice for a hearing on January 21 in a suo motu writ petition titled “Definition of Aravalli Hills and Ranges and Ancillary Issues.”
The apex court has decided to keep the committee’s recommendations and its own directions on hold until a new committee is formed. This stay will remain in place until the constitution of the fresh committee. The Chief Justice-led Bench is considering establishing a new high-powered expert committee to comprehensively evaluate the recommendations of previous panels on defining the Aravalli range.
A proposed committee will assess the possibility of regulated mining in the 500-meter gaps between hills and determine the necessary structural parameters to maintain ecological continuity. The Supreme Court highlighted the importance of evaluating the scientific validity of the 100-meter elevation threshold and the need for a detailed geological inquiry. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta informed the bench during the hearing that directives have been issued to halt all mining activities in the Aravalli states.
The Centre’s second-highest law officer clarified that no new mining licenses will be granted in the Aravalli region as per existing directions. The Supreme Court has also sought assistance from Attorney General R. Venkataramani and senior advocate P.S. Parmeswar in forming the proposed expert committee. Concerns arose after the apex court’s order on November 20 classified only landforms with an elevation of 100 meters or more as Aravalli hills, leading to widespread worries about protecting the ecologically sensitive range.
Following protests in various districts of Rajasthan against mining activities in the Aravalli mountain range, the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change imposed a ban on new mining leases across the Aravalli landscape. The ministry tasked the Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education (ICFRE) with identifying additional no-mining zones and developing a comprehensive Management Plan for Sustainable Mining for the entire range.
