New Delhi: The Supreme Court has taken suo motu cognisance of the controversy surrounding the definition of the Aravalli hills approved by it earlier and is set to hear the matter today. The issue has been listed before a three-judge vacation bench headed by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, along with Justices J K Maheshwari and Augustine George Masih, according to the cause list.
The case has been registered as In Re: Definition of Aravalli Hills and Ranges and Ancillary Issues, and arises from concerns raised over the scope and implications of the uniform scientific definition adopted by the court earlier this month.
Background of the dispute
On November 20, the Supreme Court accepted a comprehensive definition of the Aravalli hills and ranges and imposed a blanket ban on granting fresh mining leases across Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan and Gujarat. The prohibition will remain in force until expert bodies submit their final reports on sustainable mining in the ecologically sensitive region.
The court had approved the recommendations of a committee constituted by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change to ensure long-term protection of the Aravalli range, widely regarded as the world’s oldest mountain system. The committee was tasked with framing a uniform and scientifically robust definition to address regulatory ambiguities that had enabled mining and construction in the past.
How the Aravallis are defined
Under the committee’s recommendations, an “Aravalli Hill” has been defined as any landform in designated Aravalli districts that rises at least 100 metres above the local relief. An “Aravalli Range” comprises two or more such hills located within 500 metres of each other, including the intervening landforms and associated geographical features.
These definitions were incorporated into a 29-page judgment delivered in a suo motu matter connected to the long-running environmental litigation initiated by T N Godavarman Thirumulpad. While the court endorsed a strict ban on mining in core or inviolate areas, it also allowed limited exceptions in line with safeguards proposed by the expert committee.
Mining restrictions and next steps
The bench directed that no new mining leases should be granted until a Management Plan for Sustainable Mining is finalised by the MoEF&CC through the Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education. Existing mines have been permitted to operate only under stringent compliance conditions.
Emphasising the ecological importance of the region, the court underlined the Aravallis’ role as a “green barrier” against desertification, groundwater depletion and biodiversity loss, setting the stage for continued judicial scrutiny when the matter comes up for hearing.
