NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Monday said its earlier directions on the Aravalli hills will be kept in abeyance until a new committee is constituted.The apex court said that multi-temporal examination of Aravali Hills and Ranges will be examined by a high-powered committee comprising domain experts to protect structural and ecological integrity of the hill range, which is the only barrier against Thar desert advancing to Gangetic planes.
Also read: Over 1,200 mining leases active in Aravalli districts across RajasthanA bench led by Chief Justice Surya Kant observed that the report of the expert committee and the court’s own observations appeared to be “misconstrued” in certain quarters, as reported by LiveLaw.The court stressed that, prior to enforcing the committee’s recommendations or issuing final directions, a fair, impartial and independent expert opinion must be considered, as per LiveLaw.The court has also issued notices to the Centre and the four states through which the Aravalli range runs: Rajasthan, Gujarat, Haryana and Delhi, seeking their responses in the suo motu proceedings.The case, titled In Re: Definition of Aravalli Hills and Ranges and Ancillary Issues, concerns the protection of the Aravalli landscape. On November 20, the Supreme Court had accepted a uniform definition of the Aravalli hills and ranges and imposed a ban on the grant of fresh mining leases across Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan and Gujarat until expert reports are submitted.The committee had proposed that an “Aravalli Hill” be defined as any landform in notified Aravalli districts rising 100 metres or more above local relief, while an “Aravalli Range” would comprise two or more such hills located within 500 metres of each other.
