Supreme Court Seeks Fresh Expert Opinion on Aravalli Hills Definition Amid Ecological Concerns

The court has put in abeyance its earlier directions until the new committee's report is considered, to prevent “regulatory gaps” that may undermine the ecological integrity of the region. File Photo.

The Supreme Court of India has directed the formation of a fresh expert committee to resolve persistent ambiguities over the definition of the Aravalli Hills and Ranges, underscoring increasing ecological concerns and legal uncertainty. On Monday, a three-judge bench led by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant set aside its November 20 order, which had adopted a height-based definition, and asked the new panel to consult stakeholders before finalising guidance on what constitutes the Aravalli Hills.

The bench said the earlier framework, which was based on the recommendations of a previous committee, as per the court record, contains critical ambiguities and must be examined with “fair, impartial, independent expert opinion” that involves all requisite stakeholders. The court has put in abeyance its earlier directions until the new committee’s report is considered, to prevent “regulatory gaps” that may undermine the ecological integrity of the region.

Among the issues referred to the panel, the court specifically asked it to assess whether the existing definition, which hinges on an elevation of 100 metres and proximity of hills within 500 metres, narrows protected territory and inadvertently opens adjacent ecologically contiguous areas to unregulated mining or disruptive activities, the bench observed during the hearing.

The bench also asked the committee to determine if this definition truly preserves the structural and ecological continuity of the entire Aravalli system and to examine whether the widely noted figures suggesting most hills fall below the 100-metre threshold are scientifically accurate.

The court has framed a set of five detailed questions for exhaustive examination, aiming to balance regulatory clarity with environmental protection of one of northwestern India’s oldest geological and ecological systems.

Source: The Tribune