The Supreme Court on Monday will hear the ongoing controversy surrounding the definition of the Aravalli hills and related issues. The apex court has taken up the matter suo motu.
A three-judge bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant, Justice J.K. Maheshwari, and Justice A.G. Masih will hear the case, which has been listed as ‘Definition of Aravalli Hills and Mountain Ranges and Related Issues’.
Environmentalists Seek Recall Of November 20 Order
Environmentalist Neelam Ahluwalia, a member of the Aravalli Virasat Jan Abhiyaan, has urged the Supreme Court to recall its November 20 order and asked the Centre to withdraw the revised definition of the Aravalli hills.
Speaking to ANI, Ahluwalia said the new criteria were introduced without adequate scientific assessment or public consultation.
“There is nothing called sustainable mining in a critical mountain ecosystem like the Aravallis. You cannot redefine an entire mountain range to enable mining,” she said, calling the move “completely unacceptable”.
‘Uniform Height-Based Definition Threatens Ecosystem’
Ahluwalia cautioned that applying a uniform height-based definition to an ancient and ecologically complex mountain range could severely impact water security, food systems and climate stability for millions of people.
She also questioned the government’s claim that only two per cent of the Aravalli region would be affected, alleging that no supporting data has been placed in the public domain.
CEC Recommendations Yet To Be Implemented
Referring to earlier observations, Ahluwalia said the Supreme Court’s Centrally Empowered Committee (CEC), in March 2024, had recommended a comprehensive environmental impact assessment of the entire Aravalli range. However, no such study has been conducted so far.
She claimed that both legal and illegal mining activities are already underway across 37 districts in the Aravalli belt, leading to deforestation, groundwater depletion, river pollution and serious public health concerns.
Demand For Immediate Halt To Mining
Ahluwalia said the campaign has demanded an immediate halt to mining activities near human settlements, forests and water bodies. She also called for transparency on how much of the Aravalli range would be protected under the earlier Forest Survey of India criteria compared to the new 100-metre height-based definition.
“Until an independent scientific assessment is carried out and affected communities are consulted, this order must be recalled and the revised definition scrapped,” she added.
With Inputs From ANI
