In a significant development, the Supreme Court of India announced on Monday that its previous directives concerning the Aravalli hills will be temporarily suspended. This decision will remain in effect until a new, high-powered committee of domain experts is formed.
Court Seeks Fresh Expert Examination
The apex court clarified that a multi-temporal examination of the Aravalli Hills and Ranges is necessary. This study will be conducted by the newly constituted committee with the primary goal of safeguarding the structural and ecological integrity of this ancient mountain system. The bench, led by Chief Justice Surya Kant, noted that the report from a previous expert panel and the court's own observations had been "misconstrued" in certain quarters.
The court emphasised that before any of the committee's recommendations are enforced or final directions are issued, a fair, impartial, and independent expert opinion must be thoroughly considered. This step is crucial to ensure a balanced approach to conservation.
Background: The Aravalli Protection Case
The case, officially titled In Re: Definition of Aravalli Hills and Ranges and Ancillary Issues, revolves around the urgent need to protect the Aravalli landscape. On November 20, the Supreme Court had made several key decisions:
- It accepted a uniform definition for the Aravalli hills and ranges.
- It imposed a ban on granting any fresh mining leases across the states of Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan, and Gujarat.
This ban is to stay in place until the requisite expert reports are submitted and reviewed.
What Defines an Aravalli Hill or Range?
The Supreme Court had endorsed recommendations from a committee formed by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC). The committee's proposed definitions are as follows:
- An "Aravalli Hill" is any landform in the notified Aravalli districts that rises 100 metres or more above the local relief.
- An "Aravalli Range" consists of two or more such hills located within 500 metres of each other.
These definitions are part of a broader strategy to protect the world's oldest mountain range, which acts as the only natural barrier preventing the expansion of the Thar desert into the Gangetic plains. The court's latest move to pause and seek fresh expertise underscores the critical ecological importance of the Aravallis and the complexity of balancing conservation with other interests.
