Will not allow anyone to touch Aravallis, says SC, Haryana’s zoo safari plan on hold

The Supreme Court on Thursday made it clear that no project or activity will be allowed to disturb the Aravalli hills until experts define the boundaries of the range. The court refused the Haryana government’s request to submit a detailed plan for its proposed jungle safari.

A bench led by Chief Justice Surya Kant , along with Justices Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul M Pancholi , said that the jungle safari proposal will be considered only after the main matter regarding the definition of the Aravalli range is resolved. Counsel for Haryana told the court that the project had been scaled down from 10,000 acres to over 3,300 acres , and the government only wished to submit the revised report to the Central Empowered Committee (CEC). The bench responded, “We are not experts. The experts will decide the definition of Aravalli. Till that is finalised, we will not allow anyone to touch the Aravallis.”

CJI Kant emphasised that the Aravalli range spans multiple states , not just Haryana or Rajasthan, and said the safari project would be dealt with in the context of the main case. He added that the CEC’s approval could present an overly optimistic view of the ecological impact, including forests, wildlife, and tree cover.

The proposed mega ‘Aravalli Zoo Safari’ , intended to be the world’s largest, aims to include big cat zones and house hundreds of species of birds, reptiles, and butterflies across the eco-fragile Aravalli range in Gurgaon and Nuh districts . Last October, the court had already put the project on hold after petitions from retired Indian Forest Service officers and the NGO People for Aravalis , which warned that the project could devastate the already fragile ecosystem.

The top court also flagged ambiguities in the definition of the Aravalli range , such as whether the 100-metre elevation and 500-metre gap criteria would exclude large parts of the hills from environmental protection. A high-powered expert panel is expected to resolve these issues to prevent any gaps that could compromise the ecological integrity of the region.

Until further orders, the Supreme Court has reiterated that no new mining leases can be granted in the Aravalli hills across Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan, and Gujarat without prior approval, as per the 2010 Forest Survey of India report .

Until further orders, the Supreme Court has reiterated that no new mining leases can be granted in the Aravalli hills across Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan, and Gujarat without its prior approval. This is based on the 2010 Forest Survey of India report , which defines the Aravalli hills and ranges and guides environmental protection measures in the region. The court’s intent is to prevent any activity that could undermine the ecological integrity of the world’s oldest mountain system while awaiting the expert panel’s recommendations.