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The Supreme Court will hear on Monday a suo motu case challenging the Centre’s controversial definition of the Aravalli hills and related environmental concerns.
A three-judge bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant, Justice J.K. Maheshwari and Justice A.G. Masih will take up the matter, listed as “Definition of Aravalli Hills and Mountain Ranges and Related Issues.”
The Aravalli controversy erupted after the Centre notified a revised definition of the Aravalli Range, a move that activists and environmental experts warned could open large swathes of the fragile mountain ecosystem to mining activities. Critics alleged the decision was taken without adequate scientific assessment or public consultation, potentially impacting ecologically sensitive areas across Haryana, Rajasthan and Gujarat.
In the interim, the Supreme Court has put a halt to the grant of new mining leases in the Aravalli region until a comprehensive and sustainable mining management plan is prepared. Following the court’s intervention, the government also announced a complete freeze on fresh mining leases in the Aravallis.
The Centre has since directed the Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education (ICFRE) to identify additional zones across the Aravalli range where mining should be prohibited, beyond the areas already restricted. The identification will be based on ecological, geological and landscape-level considerations.
The case is expected to have far-reaching implications for environmental protection, mining policy and conservation of one of India’s oldest mountain ranges.
