SC to hear suo motu case on Aravalli hills

The Supreme Court has taken suo motu cognisance of the controversy surrounding the definition of the Aravalli hills and is scheduled to hear the matter on Monday. According to the cause list, a three-judge vacation bench headed by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, along with Justices J.K. Maheshwari and Augustine George Masih, is likely to hear the case titled In Re: Definition of Aravalli Hills and Ranges and Ancillary Issues.

The apex court had, on November 20, approved a uniform definition of the Aravalli hills and ranges and imposed a ban on the grant of fresh mining leases across Aravalli regions spanning Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan and Gujarat until expert reports are submitted. The decision was taken to safeguard the Aravallis, regarded as the world’s oldest mountain system.

The court accepted the recommendations of a committee constituted by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, which proposed that an “Aravalli Hill” be defined as any landform in designated Aravalli districts with an elevation of 100 metres or more above the local relief. An “Aravalli Range” was defined as a cluster of two or more such hills located within 500 metres of each other.

The committee further clarified that the entire landform enclosed by the lowest contour line, including supporting slopes and associated features irrespective of gradient, would be deemed part of the Aravalli Hills. Similarly, landforms and associated features lying between two Aravalli hills within the prescribed distance would form part of the Aravalli Range.

The Supreme Court delivered a detailed 29-page judgment in the suo motu proceedings, which stemmed from long-running environmental litigation. The bench accepted the committee’s recommendations on prohibiting mining in core and inviolate areas, while allowing limited exceptions. It also approved measures for sustainable mining and steps to prevent illegal mining in the Aravalli hills and ranges.

The court directed authorities to identify areas where mining could be permitted and to clearly demarcate ecologically sensitive, conservation-critical and restoration-priority zones within the Aravalli landscape where mining would either be strictly prohibited or allowed only under exceptional, scientifically justified circumstances. It further ordered that no new mining leases be granted until a comprehensive mining plan is finalised by the environment ministry in consultation with the Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education.

At the same time, the bench allowed existing mining operations to continue, subject to strict compliance with the committee’s recommendations. Emphasising the ecological importance of the Aravallis, the court described the range as a vital green barrier that prevents the eastward spread of the Thar desert and supports rich biodiversity, underscoring the need for a clear and scientific definition to ensure effective environmental protection and regulation of land use.