SC flags 'irreversible damage', orders expert committee on Aravalli mining

The Supreme Court asked ASG Aishwarya Bhati and amicus curiae K Parameshwar to suggest names of environmentalists and mining experts within four weeks for a panel that will work under its supervision

The Supreme Court on Wednesday said it will set up an expert committee to carry out a detailed and comprehensive review of mining and related issues in the Aravallis. The court noted that illegal mining can cause “irreversible damage".

 

A Bench led by Chief Justice Surya Kant, along with Justices Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul M Pancholi, directed Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati and amicus curiae K Parameshwar to propose names of environmentalists and scientists with mining expertise within four weeks, news agency PTI reported.

 

The court said that the expert committee will function under its direct supervision.

 

Earlier Aravalli definition order kept on hold

 

The apex court also extended its earlier order, keeping in abeyance its November 20 directions that had accepted a uniform definition of the Aravalli hills and ranges. The court had paused the order after concerns were raised over its environmental impact.

 

 

During the hearing, the court was informed that illegal mining is occurring in scattered locations across the Aravallis. The Bench recorded an assurance from Additional Solicitor General K M Nataraj, appearing for the Rajasthan government, that no unauthorised mining would be allowed to continue.

 

The matter is being heard under a suo motu case titled ‘In Re: Definition of Aravalli Hills and Ranges and Ancillary Issues’. The court took up the issue following protests against the approved definition of the Aravallis.

 

On December 29 last year, the top court had put its November 20 order on hold, citing the need to resolve “critical ambiguities”. These included whether the criteria of a 100-metre elevation and a 500-metre distance between hills could strip large parts of the Aravalli range of environmental protection.  ALSO | Aravalli row: Why a 100-metre rule has triggered a mountain of concerns 

How Aravallis were defined

 

On November 20, the Supreme Court accepted a uniform definition of the Aravalli hills and ranges and imposed a ban on granting fresh mining leases in the region. The ban applied to areas spanning Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan and Gujarat and will remain until expert reports are submitted.

 

The court had approved the recommendations of a committee under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, aimed at protecting the fragile mountain system.

 

The committee had suggested that an “Aravalli Hill” should be defined as any landform in the designated Aravalli districts with an elevation of 100 metres or more above the local relief.

 

It further stated that an “Aravalli range” would consist of two or more such hills located within 500 metres of each other.   

 

Case background

 

The Aravalli range stretches across Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan and Gujarat. The suo motu case began after widespread protests raised fears that the apex court’s earlier decision could weaken safeguards for the ecologically sensitive region.

 

In May 2024, while hearing a case related to illegal mining, the Supreme Court observed that the Aravalli range lacked a clear and uniform definition. It noted that different states were using varying interpretations of “Aravalli Hills” and “Aravalli Ranges”.

 

A committee was then formed, which submitted its report in October. The panel also proposed steps to protect and preserve the Aravallis, including the elevation-based criteria.

 

It defined the Aravalli Range as “two or more Aravalli Hills located within a proximity of 500 m from each other, measured from the outermost point on the boundary of the lowest contour line on either side”.

 

(With agency inputs)