Aravalli Hills Hearing Update — New Delhi (Dec 29)
Supreme Court ne Aravalli Hills aur Ranges se judi November 20 ke apne faisle ko abeyance (temporary hold) me rakh diya hai, taaki revised definition aur uske implications par aur gahrai se vichaar kiya ja sake. Bench ne bataya ki pehle jo “100-metre height criterion” aur “500-metre range rule” ko sweekar kiya gaya tha, woh galat interpretation aur confusion ka kaaran ban raha hai, jise lekar aur spashtta zaroori hai.
Court ne is suo motu case me Chief Justice Surya Kant ki adhyakshata wali bench ke through kaha ki expert committee ki report aur Court ke directions ko kai jagah par misinterpret kiya ja raha hai. Isi wajah se purane directions ko filhaal rok diya gaya hai. Agli hearing 21 January 2026 ke liye schedule ki gayi hai.
November 2025 me Supreme Court ne Environment Ministry ki recommended definition ko accept kiya tha, jisme Aravalli Hills ko “100 metres se zyada elevation wala landform” bataya gaya tha. Aravalli Ranges ko “do ya usse adhik hills jo 500 metres ke andar connected ho” ke roop me define kiya gaya. Is definition par kai environmental groups ne aapatti jatai thi, unka kehna tha ki isse ecological safeguards kamzor pad sakte hain.
Isi background me Supreme Court ne ab ek high-powered expert panel banane ke proposal par bhi vichaar kiya hai, taaki scientific clarity ke saath clear aur practical definition tayaar ho sake. Court ne Centre ke saath-saath Aravalli se judi char rajyon — Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan aur Gujarat — ko notice bhi issue kiya hai.
Rajasthan aur Haryana ke kai political leaders ne Supreme Court ke is step ka swagat kiya hai. Congress leader Govind Singh Dotasra ne kaha ki Court ne “logon ki Aravalli bachane ki awaaz” suni hai. Wahi Haryana me opposition leader Bhupinder Singh Hooda ne ise environment protection ke liye ek positive signal bataya.
Environmental experts ka kehna hai ki Aravalli range North-West India ke groundwater recharge, climate balance aur biodiversity ke liye bahut critical hai. Court ne yeh bhi clear kiya hai ki jab tak final clarity nahi aati, tab tak kisi bhi irreversible mining ya administrative decision par pehle se lage restrictions me koi relaxation nahi hogi.
Context & Next Steps
Is poore development ke baad Aravalli Hills se judi regulatory clarity temporary taur par pause me chali gayi hai. Ab sabki nazar January 21 ki hearing aur expert panel ki report par hogi. Environmentalists ise ek temporary relief ke roop me dekh rahe hain, jabki stakeholders ek clear, scientific aur transparent framework ki demand continue kar rahe hain.
