Supreme Court steps in on Aravalli mining row, CJI-led bench to hear suo motu case on Monday

Former forest conservation officer R P Balwan has also filed a petition before the apex court in connection with the issue.

The Supreme Court’s decision to take suo motu cognisance has raised hopes among environmental activists and those concerned about the November 20 verdict, with expectations of a positive shift in the court’s stance on the matter.

During its November 20 hearing, the Supreme Court accepted the recommendations of a Union environment ministry panel on which landforms should be considered part of the Aravalli hills.

In an affidavit filed before the court, the Centre proposed that only landforms with an elevation of 100 metres or more above the local relief, along with their slopes and adjoining areas, should be classified as Aravallis.

The court, led by Justice B R Gavai, accepted the revised definition and directed the ministry to formulate a Management Plan for Sustainable Mining for the Aravalli region, triggering a huge uproar from the opposition and environment enthusiasts.

Amid the controversy, the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change on Wednesday directed all concerned states to impose a complete ban on the grant of any new mining leases across the entire Aravalli range, from Delhi to Gujarat.

The ministry said the prohibition would apply uniformly and was aimed at preserving the integrity of the ancient geological formation by curbing illegal and unregulated mining.

The Centre said the directions were intended to safeguard the Aravallis as a continuous ridge, amid long-standing concerns over rampant mining and environmental degradation.

The ministry has also directed the Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education (ICFRE) to identify additional areas across the Aravallis where mining should be prohibited, beyond zones already barred by the government.

This exercise will be based on ecological, geological and landscape-level considerations.

ICFRE has been tasked with preparing a comprehensive, science-based Management Plan for Sustainable Mining for the entire Aravalli region.

The plan will assess cumulative environmental impacts and ecological carrying capacity, identify conservation-critical and ecologically sensitive areas, and outline measures for restoration and rehabilitation.

The draft plan will be placed in the public domain for stakeholder consultation.

The latest directions came two days after Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav rejected claims that recent changes related to the Aravallis were intended to open the region to mining, terming such assertions “misinformation.”

He said the government was pursuing a balanced approach that takes the ecology and economy together, while remaining firmly committed to protecting the Aravalli ecosystem.

Yadav clarified that no mining is permitted in the Delhi-NCR region and that legally sanctioned mining accounts for only a small fraction of the Aravalli landscape.

The ministry reiterated that the fresh directions would expand the coverage of areas protected from mining, recognising the Aravallis’ critical role in preventing desertification, conserving biodiversity, recharging aquifers and providing essential environmental services.