Aravalli Case: SC Puts Definition Ruling in Abeyance, Orders Expert Panel

The Supreme Court has suspended its earlier order accepting the Centre's Aravalli definition, which risked opening the region to mining. It has formed a new expert committee and issued notices to the Centre and four states on the matter.

The Supreme Court has "put in abeyance" its earlier decision (issued on November 20) to accept the Central Environment Ministry's definition of the Aravalli Hills and Aravalli Range. The top court's acceptance of the definition in November had exposed most of the Aravalli region to the risk of being used for regulated mining.

A vacation bench of the Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant and Justices J.K. Maheshwari and A.G Masih has also ordered the formation of a new expert committee to examine issues that required to be examined in terms of the definition of Aravallis. The Court has also issued notice to the Centre and the four Aravalli States - Rajasthan, Gujarat, Delhi and Haryana, seeking their response to its suo motu case on the issue.

Court Takes Suo Motu Cognisance

On Saturday, the Supreme Court took suo motu cognisance of concerns surrounding the definition of the Aravalli Range, amid mounting criticism from environmentalists and opposition parties over its potential impact on the fragile mountain ecosystem.

Contentious Definition and Government's Stance

The development follows objections to the Centre's newly notified definition of the Aravalli mountain range, which is based on a 100-metre height criterion.

On December 24, the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) had also issued directions to the States for a complete ban on the Grant of any New Mining Leases in the Aravallis. This prohibition applies uniformly across the entire Aravalli landscape and is intended to preserve the integrity of the range.

The directions are aimed at safeguarding the Aravallis as a continuous geological ridge extending from Gujarat to the National Capital Region and at stopping all unregulated mining activities.

About the Aravalli Range

The Aravalli range is a 670-kilometre-long mountain range in northwestern India. The highest elevation of the range has been recorded at 1,722 metres.

The hill starts near Delhi, passes through Haryana, Rajasthan, and ends in Gujarat. The highest peak of the range is known as Guru Shikhar, in Mount Abu, Rajasthan.

The Aravalli range is the oldest fold-mountain belt in India, dating back around 2 billion years. (ANI)

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