SC takes suo motu cognisance of row over definition of Aravalli range, hearing on Monday
NEW DELHI: Amidst the severe apprehension over the redefinition of Aravalli hills, the Supreme Court has on Saturday took suo motu cognisance of the matter and decided to hear it on December 29, Monday. The matter is to be heard by a three-judge bench of the apex court, headed by the CJI Surya Kant and Justices J K Maheshwari and Augustine George Masih on December 29, Monday. The matter was listed as, Case | In Re: Definition of Aravalli Hills and Ranges and ancillary issues, in the top court for hearing on Monday. The apex court took the matter on suo motu basis, after major protest by the public, environmentalists, civil society members and others expressing their apprehensions about the revised definition of the Aravalli hills. They worried that the change may lead to indiscriminate illegal mining and impact groundwater level among others. Socio-environmental activist and lawyer Hitendra Gandhi wrote a letter to CJI Kant, seeking review of 100 Metre test rule pertaining to Aravalli issue. Gandhi also wrote a letter to the President of India in this regard. Low ridges, water recharge areas have to be protected. 100 Metre rule risks excluding large ecologically integral parts that may not meet numerical height threshold but remain functionally critical, the letter of Gandhi said. Rajasthan Dy CM accuses Congress of politicising Aravalli redefinition row as protests continue across state In its judgment on November this year, the bench led by the then Chief Justice BR Gavai (Now retired) accepted the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) committee's recommended operational definition for the Aravali Hills and Ranges in the context of mining. The Supreme Court had in its verdict emphasised that uncontrolled mining here poses a great threat to the ecology of the nation and directed uniform criteria to safeguard them. Their conservation is thus vital for ecological stability, cultural heritage, and sustainable development. The court had earlier directed the Centre to prepare a comprehensive Management Plan for Sustainable Mining before any new mining activity is permitted in the ecologically fragile region. It is to be noted that Aravalli Hills are among Indias oldest geological formations, stretching from Delhi through Haryana, Rajasthan, and into Gujarat. Historically, they have been recognised across 37 districts by state governments, with their ecological role noted as a natural barrier against northern desertification and a protector of biodiversity and water recharge.
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