Digital Desk, New Delhi. The Supreme Court has taken suo motu cognizance of the concerns raised by the recent change in the definition of the Aravalli Hills. There is a fear that uncontrolled mining could lead to serious environmental damage.
The vacation bench of Chief Justice Surya Kant, Justice JK Maheshwari and Justice AG Masih will consider the case on Monday, December 29.
Environmental experts expressed concern
The apex court's intervention comes after public protests and environmental concerns over the changed definition of the Aravalli hills. The area is known for its ecological importance and its role in preventing desertification and maintaining groundwater levels. Environmental experts and civil society organizations have raised concerns that the change in definition could legalize mining and construction activities in already protected areas.
Let us tell you that due to different definitions of Aravalli hills and mountain ranges in the states of Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan and Gujarat, regulatory deficiencies and illegal mining were taking place. To resolve this, the Supreme Court had earlier formed a high-level committee.
In its judgment delivered in November this year, a bench of then Chief Justice BR Gavai and Justices K Vinod Chandran and NV Anjaria accepted the operational definition suggested by a committee of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change for the Aravalli hills and mountain ranges in the context of mining.
New definition of Aravali
Under this definition, the Aravalli Hills means any part of land in the prescribed districts which is not less than 100 meters in height, including supporting slopes and parts of associated land.
The Aravali range is formed when two or more such hills are within a radius of 500 meters of each other.
It is worth noting here that the Court had directed the Center to prepare a complete management plan for sustainable mining before allowing any new mining activity in this ecologically fragile area.
Also read- Narnaul: Ten mountains have disappeared due to illegal mining in Aravalli, mafia is taking advantage of Haryana-Rajasthan border.