5 months ago
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The Supreme Court is scheduled to instrumentality suo motu cognisance connected Monday (December 29, 2025) of the nationalist interest and furore implicit the caller definition of what constitutes the protected Aravali Hills and range, 1 of the world’s oldest upland systems, amid fears that it would unfastened the gates for unbridled mining and ecological harm.
A three-judge Special Vacation Bench headed by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant volition perceive the matter.
In a judgement successful November, the Apex Court accepted the recommendations of a committee of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, defining the ‘Aravali Hills’ arsenic immoderate landform with an elevation of 100 metres oregon much supra the section alleviation and an ‘Aravali Range’ arsenic a postulation of 2 oregon much specified hills wrong 500 metres from each other.
“Any landform located successful the Aravali districts, having an elevation of 100 metres oregon much from the section relief, shall beryllium termed arsenic Aravali Hills... The full landform lying wrong the country enclosed by specified lowest contour, whether existent oregon extended notionally, unneurotic with the hill, its supporting slopes and associated landforms irrespective of their gradient, shall beryllium deemed to represent portion of the Aravali Hills,” the tribunal had agreed with the Ministry panel.
The sheet had besides defined the Aravali Range, saying, “Two oregon much Aravali Hills, located wrong a proximity of 500 metres from each other, measured from the outermost constituent connected the bound of the lowest contour enactment connected either side, shall represent the Aravali Range”.
The tribunal had besides accepted the recommendations for sustainable mining and the steps to beryllium taken to forestall amerciable mining successful Aravali Hills and Ranges.
It had directed the authorities to place permissible areas for “mining and ecologically sensitive, conservation-critical and restoration precedence areas wrong the Aravali scenery wherever mining shall beryllium strictly prohibited oregon permitted lone nether exceptional and scientifically justified circumstances”.
“We further nonstop that till the MPSM (Management Plan for Sustainable Mining) is finalised by the MoEF&CC done ICFRE (Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education), nary caller mining leases should beryllium granted,” it had directed.
The Apex Court had agreed with the Ministry panel’s recommendations contempt recognising the Aravalis arsenic a “green barrier” that prevents the eastward dispersed of the Thar desert.
