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2d ago

Supreme Court Stays Aravalli Definition, Orders Fresh Expert Review

A new expert review will reassess whether the 100-metre elevation and 500-metre proximity thresholds would undercut ecological continuity.

The Aravalli hills act as a vast, fractured rock sponge that captures monsoon rain and recharges groundwater aquifers. (HT Archive)
Referring to the long-running environmental litigation in TN Godavarman Thirumulpad case, the Supreme Court delivered a 29-page judgement in the suo motu matter.
The top court decided to revisit the contentious issue of what constitutes the Aravallis and proposed forming an expert panel to comprehensively examine questions.
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Overview

  • A three-judge vacation bench led by Chief Justice Surya Kant kept the November 20 judgment and its committee recommendations in abeyance, noting they were being misconstrued.
  • The Court issued notices to the Union government and Rajasthan, Gujarat, Haryana and Delhi, with the next hearing listed for January 21, 2026.
  • A high-powered, independent committee will be constituted to examine technical questions, including potential gaps created by the 500-metre rule, the permissibility of regulated mining in those gaps, and the need for a geological enquiry.
  • The bench flagged the reported Forest Survey of India figure that only 1,048 of 12,081 mapped hills meet the 100-metre threshold as a point requiring scientific verification.
  • Separately, the environment ministry has directed a halt on granting new mining leases across the Aravalli landscape, while protests and political objections over the mapping and potential exclusion of low-elevation landforms continue.