SC to hear Suo Motu Case on Aravalli hills today

The Supreme Court has taken suo motu cognisance of a dispute over the definition and protection of the Aravalli Hills and Ranges and is scheduled to hear the matter today. A three-judge vacation bench comprising Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justices JK Maheshwari and Augustine George Masih is likely to hear the case titled “In Re: Definition of Aravalli Hills and Ranges and Ancillary Issues.”

The issue arises from a row over the definition of the Aravalli Hills, which the apex court had addressed in a November 20 judgement. The Court had adopted a uniform scientific definition proposed by a Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) committee, describing an Aravalli Hill as any landform with an elevation of 100 metres or more above the local relief , and an Aravalli Range as a collection of two or more such hills within 500 metres of each other . The definition includes the entire landform, supporting slopes, and associated terrain, ensuring comprehensive protection of the Aravalli landscape.

Following the judgement, the Supreme Court prohibited the grant of new mining leases across Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan, and Gujarat until the Management Plan for Sustainable Mining (MPSM) is finalised by MoEF&CC in consultation with the Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education (ICFRE). Existing mining operations may continue only under strict adherence to sustainable mining norms. The Court also accepted recommendations for banning mining in core and inviolate areas, protecting ecologically sensitive and conservation-critical zones, and permitting mining only in scientifically assessed areas. Restoration and rehabilitation of mined areas will be mandatory, and mining in restricted zones will be allowed only under exceptional and scientifically justified circumstances.

The Aravalli Hills are considered ecologically vital, acting as a green barrier against the eastward spread of the Thar Desert, supporting rich biodiversity, recharging groundwater, preventing soil erosion, and helping regulate the local climate. The Supreme Court emphasised that a clear, scientific definition of the hills and ranges is essential for environmental conservation, regulating land use, and determining permissible mining activities.

CJI D.Y. Gavai , who authored the 29-page judgement, directed that the MPSM must guide all future mining activities, and no new leases should be granted until it is finalised. Authorities have been urged to ensure that existing mining operations strictly comply with the committee’s recommendations to safeguard the Aravalli Hills and Ranges.