SC Stays Its Earlier Order on Aravalli Definition
New Delhi: The Supreme Court has “stayed” its earlier order (issued on November 20) to accept the Central Environment Ministry’s definition of Aravalli Hills and Aravalli Ranges. The high court’s acceptance of the definition in November had left much of the Aravalli region at risk of being used for regulated mining.
A vacation bench comprising Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant and Justices JK Maheshwari and AG Masih also directed that a new expert committee be constituted to examine the issues that need to be examined in terms of Aravallis definition.
The court also issued notice to the Center and the four Aravalli States (Rajasthan, Gujarat, Delhi and Haryana), asking them to respond to the suo motu case on the issue.
The Supreme Court on Saturday took suo motu cognizance of concerns over the definition of the Aravalli Range, amid growing criticism from environmentalists and opposition parties over its potential impact on the fragile mountain ecosystem.
This development comes in the wake of objections to the Centre’s newly notified definition of the Aravalli Ranges, which is based on the 100 meter height criterion.
On December 24, the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) had also issued directions to States for a complete ban on New Mining Leases in the Aravallis.
This ban applies equally to the entire Aravalli land and aims to protect the integrity of the plateau. The guidelines aim to preserve the Aravallis as an unbroken geological ridge stretching from Gujarat to the National Capital Region and stop all unregulated mining activities. The Aravalli Range is a 670 kilometer long mountain range in northwestern India.
The highest altitude of the range was recorded as 1,722 meters. The hill starts near Delhi, passes through Haryana, Rajasthan and ends in Gujarat. The highest peak of the range is known as Guru Shikhar on Mount Abu in Rajasthan. The Aravalli Range is the oldest folded mountain range in India, dating back approximately 2 billion years.
