Supreme Court Reviews Aravalli Hills Redefinition Amid Environmental Concerns
Supreme Court's Intervention on Aravalli Hills
The Supreme Court of India has initiated suo motu cognizance regarding the recent changes to the definition of the Aravalli Hills. This decision comes in response to worries that such alterations could facilitate unregulated mining activities and lead to significant environmental harm.
A vacation bench, which includes Chief Justice Surya Kant along with Justices J K Maheshwari and A G Masih, is set to deliberate on this issue on Monday.
The Aravalli mountain range, which spans approximately 700 kilometers, extends from southwestern Gujarat through Rajasthan and into Delhi and Haryana. Its highest peak, Guru Shikhar in Mount Abu, reaches an elevation of 1,722 meters.
According to the new definition endorsed by the Supreme Court, an Aravalli hill is characterized as any landform that rises at least 100 meters above the surrounding landscape. Furthermore, an Aravalli range consists of two or more hills situated within 500 meters of each other, including the intervening land.
Environmental advocates have expressed concerns that this height-based definition may leave many smaller, ecologically significant hills, which are often covered in scrub, exposed to mining and development. These smaller hills play a vital role in combating desertification, replenishing groundwater, and supporting local communities.
In light of the backlash, the Union environment ministry recently instructed states to refrain from issuing new mining leases in the Aravalli Hills. This prohibition aims to maintain the ecological integrity of the entire Aravalli range.
The Congress party criticized the government's directives as a mere 'bogus attempt at damage control' that would not deceive anyone. Party leader Jairam Ramesh highlighted the unchanged 'dangerous 100m+ redefinition' on social media.
On the same day, the Union government refuted claims that the redefinition undermines environmental protections, asserting that over 90% of the Aravalli region remains safeguarded.
The Congress party further questioned the rationale behind the government's push for a 'fatally flawed' redefinition of the Aravallis, despite opposition from significant expert bodies and advisors to the Supreme Court.
Ramesh also shared a report indicating that the Supreme Court's acceptance of the government's new definition contradicts the recommendations made by its own Central Empowered Committee.