Supreme Court Halts Implementation of Aravalli Hills Definition: What’s Next?
Supreme Court's Recent Decision on Aravalli Hills
New Delhi: On Monday, the Supreme Court decided to pause the implementation of its November 20 ruling, which had established a standardized definition for the Aravalli hills and their ranges.
A vacation bench, led by Chief Justice Surya Kant along with Justices J K Maheshwari and Augustine George Masih, suggested forming a high-level committee of experts to conduct a thorough and comprehensive review of the matter.
The bench emphasized the need to keep the committee's recommendations and the court's previous findings from the November 20 judgment on hold, as they addressed a suo motu case titled 'In Re Definition of Aravalli Hills and Ranges and Ancillary Issues'.
The court acknowledged that certain aspects require further clarification and has issued a notice to the central government and other parties involved, scheduling the next hearing for January 21.
In its earlier ruling on November 20, the Supreme Court had accepted a uniform definition of the Aravalli hills and prohibited new mining leases in the region, which spans Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan, and Gujarat, until expert evaluations are completed.
The apex court had endorsed the recommendations from a committee under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change regarding the definition of the Aravalli hills and ranges, aimed at safeguarding this ancient mountain system.
According to the committee, the Aravalli Hill is defined as any landform within designated Aravalli districts that stands at least 100 meters above local relief, while the Aravalli Range consists of two or more such hills located within 500 meters of each other.
The committee further clarified that any landform in the Aravalli districts with an elevation of 100 meters or more from local relief will be classified as Aravalli Hills. This includes the entire landform within the lowest contour, along with its slopes and related landforms, regardless of their gradient.
The definition of the Aravalli Range includes two or more Aravalli Hills situated within 500 meters of each other, measured from the outermost boundary of the lowest contour line.
The area between two Aravalli hills is determined by creating buffers equal to the minimum distance between their lowest contour lines. All landforms within this area, including hills and supporting slopes, are considered part of the Aravalli Range.
The Supreme Court's November 20 ruling was encapsulated in a 29-page judgment stemming from ongoing environmental litigation in the T N Godavarman Thirumulpad case.
Additionally, the court accepted recommendations regarding the prohibition of mining in critical invasive areas, with specific exceptions noted in the committee's report, and endorsed measures for sustainable mining and preventing illegal activities in the Aravalli Hills and Ranges.