Supreme Court constituted a High-Powered
Expert Committee (HPEC) to undertake a fresh scientific review of the
definition of the Aravalli Hills and Ranges
Supreme Court constituted a High-Powered Expert
Committee (HPEC) to undertake a fresh scientific review of the definition of
the Aravalli Hills and Ranges.
More on the News
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The Supreme Court has
constituted a five-member High-Powered Expert Committee, headed by Kanchan Devi
(DG, ICFRE), to undertake a fresh scientific review of the definition of the
Aravalli Hills and Ranges.
¨
The move follows concerns
that the Court-approved elevation-based definition may exclude ecologically
significant portions of the Aravalli ecosystem and weaken environmental
protection.
¨
The Court has stayed its
November 2025 judgment accepting the Centre’s uniform definition of the
Aravallis pending the Committee’s review.
¨
Further, restrictions on
fresh mining leases and lease renewals in the Aravalli region will continue
until a scientifically robust framework is evolved.
Background of the Issue
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The Aravalli Range, one
of the world’s oldest fold mountain systems, extends across Gujarat, Rajasthan,
Haryana and Delhi and has long faced threats from illegal mining, urbanisation
and ecological degradation.
¨
In May 2024, the Supreme
Court directed the formulation of a uniform definition of the Aravallis across
four states to address regulatory ambiguities, particularly in the context of
mining activities.
¨
Acting on the Court’s
directions, a MoEFCC-appointed committee proposed a standardised definition
based on an elevation threshold and spatial proximity criteria, which was
accepted by the Supreme Court in November 2025.
¨
Subsequently, the Centre
imposed restrictions on new mining leases and directed ICFRE to identify
additional ecologically sensitive areas and prepare a Management Plan for
Sustainable Mining (MPSM).
¨
Following objections from
environmental experts, scientists and civil society groups, the Supreme Court
took suo motu cognisance of the matter, stayed its earlier order and
constituted a High-Powered Expert Committee for a fresh review.
Why Has the Earlier Definition Become
Controversial?
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The earlier framework
defined an Aravalli Hill as a landform rising at least 100 metres above local
relief and an Aravalli Range as two or more such hills located within 500
metres of each other.
¨
Critics argued that the
definition relied excessively on elevation criteria while overlooking crucial
ecological and geological parameters such as landscape continuity,
biodiversity, hydrology and geomorphology.
¨
Concerns were amplified
by reports of the Forest Survey of India that only 8.7% of the 12,081 mapped
hills satisfied the prescribed 100-metre threshold, raising fears that several
ecologically important formations could lose protection.
¨
Analyses further
suggested that nearly half of the currently protected Aravalli landscape could
become vulnerable to mining and developmental pressures if the definition were
implemented in its existing form.
¨
The Supreme Court
consequently expressed concerns about a potential “structural paradox”, wherein
a definition intended to conserve the Aravallis could inadvertently exclude
substantial portions of the ecosystem from protection.
Significance of the Supreme Court’s
Intervention
¨
Scientific and Ecological
Governance: The decision promotes evidence-based environmental policymaking and
can strengthen protection of the Aravallis’ ecological functions, including desertification
control, groundwater recharge, biodiversity conservation and dust mitigation.
¨ Advancing Environmental Jurisprudence: The intervention reflects the judiciary’s continued commitment to constitutional environmentalism and principles such as sustainable development, precautionary principle, public trust doctrine and inter-generational equity.
¨ Promoting Cooperative and Sustainable Resource Governance: The review provides an opportunity to develop uniform conservation standards across four states while balancing ecological protection with sustainable mining, infrastructure development and local livelihood requirements.
