The Supreme Courtroom has rejected a request by the Excessive-Powered Committee analyzing the definition and safety of the Aravalli Hills for a six-month extension to submit its report, directing the panel to finish its work and file the report by November 30, 2026.
The Committee had sought time till February 28, 2027, however the Bench headed by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant declined the request and made it clear that no additional extension can be granted.
In the course of the listening to, CJI Surya Kant remarked that the request appeared to counsel that the Committee was ready for his retirement.
“‘They’ve clearly requested for a date after my retirement…If they aren’t succesful, we are going to re-constitute”, CJI mentioned
The Courtroom directed the Committee to “work day and evening” to finish the train throughout the deadline.
The Courtroom additionally careworn that the Committee should undertake a complete session course of earlier than finalising its findings. It has been directed to listen to all stakeholders, together with tribal communities in Rajasthan and Gujarat, whose pursuits could also be affected by choices in regards to the Aravalli panorama.
The Courtroom additional allowed the Committee to submit issue-specific interim stories wherever essential. Such stories may allow the Supreme Courtroom to deal with pressing questions in regards to the Aravalli Hills individually, relatively than ready for the completion of your entire train.
The matter has been listed for additional listening to on December 2, when the Courtroom is anticipated to think about the Committee’s report and the problems arising from its findings.
It was in June this year that the Supreme Court constituted a five-member Excessive-Powered Skilled Committee to undertake a complete evaluate of points regarding the definition and demarcation of the Aravalli Hills and Ranges, observing that choices with far-reaching environmental penalties shouldn’t be taken with out the advantage of professional analysis.
The Committee was to be headed ex officio by the Director Basic of the Indian Council of Forestry Analysis and Schooling (ICFRE). Its members embrace Dr. Subhash Ashutosh, former Director Basic of the Forest Survey of India; Dr. Rajendra Kumar Sharma, former Director of the Geological Survey of India; Brij Mohan Singh Rathore, former Joint Secretary within the Ministry of Setting, Forest and Local weather Change (MoEFCC); and Prof. Ashok Okay. Bhatnagar, former Head of the Division of Botany at Delhi College.
The Courtroom additionally named Professor Jagdish Krishnaswamy of the Indian Institute for Human Settlements and Professor Laxmikant Sharma of the Central College of Haryana as particular invitees to be related to the Committee sometimes. An officer of the rank of Director within the MoEFCC will function Member Secretary.
Background
In December 2025, the Courtroom took suo motu cognizance after public protests and considerations raised by environmental teams and civil society organizations over the revised definition of the Aravalli Hills, a area identified for its ecological significance, together with its position in stopping desertification and sustaining groundwater ranges. It was apprehended that dilution of the definition may legitimize mining and building actions in areas that have been earlier handled as protected.
The difficulty arose attributable to differing definitions of the Aravalli Hills and Aravalli Ranges throughout Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan and Gujarat, which had resulted in regulatory gaps and cases of unlawful mining. To handle these inconsistencies, the Supreme Courtroom had earlier constituted a high-level committee.
In a judgment delivered in November this yr, the Courtroom accepted the operational definition really useful by a committee of the Ministry of Setting, Forest and Local weather Change within the context of mining.
As per the accepted definition, “Aravalli Hills” refers to any landform in designated districts with a minimal elevation of 100 metres from the native reduction, together with supporting slopes and linked landforms. An “Aravalli Vary” is fashioned when two or extra such hills are situated inside 500 metres of one another.
Case no. – SMW(C) No. 10/2025
Case Title – In Re: Definition of Aravalli Hills and Ranges and Ancillary Points
