After Protests And Press Heat, SC Presses Pause On Its Own Ruling On Aravallis
India-West News Desk
NEW DELHI – Widespread protests, sustained media criticism, and mounting concern over environmental damage have pushed the Supreme Court to step back from its own recent ruling on the Aravalli hills, placing its new definition of the ancient mountain range in abeyance and reopening the issue for fresh examination.
On December 29, a three judge Bench headed by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant stayed its earlier directions that had narrowed the definition of the Aravalli Hills, saying the court’s observations and an expert committee report were being misconstrued and required further clarification before implementation. The matter will now be heard again on January 21.
“We deem it necessary that the committee recommendation and directions of this court be kept in abeyance,” the Bench said, adding that the stay will remain in force until a fresh expert committee is constituted. The Bench also included Justices J.K. Maheshwari and A.G. Masih.
The court indicated it was considering setting up a new high powered expert panel to take a holistic look at all earlier reports on the Aravalli range. The proposed panel would re-examine whether regulated mining could be allowed in the gaps between hill formations and what safeguards would be needed to ensure ecological continuity is not broken.
The Bench also raised questions about the scientific basis of the 100 meter elevation threshold used in its earlier ruling, asking whether a more detailed geological assessment was required before fixing such a benchmark.
The court’s move follows intense backlash after its November 20 order held that only landforms with an elevation of 100 meters or more qualified as Aravalli hills. Environmental groups, local residents, and sections of the media warned that the definition could open vast stretches of the ecologically fragile range to mining and construction.
Protests erupted across several districts of Rajasthan, including Udaipur, Jodhpur, Sikar, and Alwar, with demonstrators opposing any relaxation of protections for one of the world’s oldest mountain systems.
In response to the unrest, the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has imposed a complete ban on new mining leases across the Aravalli landscape and tasked the Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education with identifying additional no mining zones and preparing a comprehensive management plan for sustainable mining for the entire range. (with IANS inputs)
