Supreme Court takes Suo Motu cognisance on issue of definition of Aravalli Hills
The Supreme Court has taken suo motu cognisance of concerns arising from a recent change in the definition of the Aravalli Hills. A vacation Bench, comprising Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, Justices J.K. Maheshwari and A.G. Masih, is scheduled to examine the issue tomorrow. The apex court’s intervention follows public protests and strong objections over the redefinition of the Aravalli Hills.
Under the accepted definition, the Aravalli Hills include any landform in specified districts with a minimum elevation of 100 metres above the local relief, along with supporting slopes and connected landforms. Environmental organisations and civil society groups have warned that dilution of the definition may legitimise mining and construction activities in the region, resulting in irreversible harm to the fragile ecosystem.
The controversy stems from long-standing inconsistencies in the definition of the Aravalli Hills and Ranges across Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan and Gujarat, which had earlier created regulatory gaps and enabled illegal mining. To address these issues, the Supreme Court had constituted a high-level committee and delivered a judgment in November this year accepting the operational definition recommended by the committee for regulating mining activities.
The Court had also directed the Centre to prepare a Management Plan for Sustainable Mining before permitting any new mining activity in the ecologically sensitive Aravalli region. The Aravalli hills are known for its critical role in preventing desertification, sustaining groundwater, and maintaining ecological balance in north-western India.
