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The Supreme Court on Saturday took suo motu cognisance of concerns surrounding the definition of the Aravalli Range, amid mounting criticism from environmentalists and opposition parties over its potential impact on the fragile mountain ecosystem.
A three-judge vacation bench led by Chief Justice Surya Kant is scheduled to hear the matter on December 29. The development comes after objections were raised to the Centre's newly notified definition of the Aravalli mountain range, which is based on a 100-metre height criterion. Environmentalists have warned that the revised definition could open up vast stretches of the ancient mountain range across Haryana, Rajasthan and Gujarat to mining activities. Environmentalist Neelam Ahluwalia, a member of the Aravalli Virasat Jan Abhiyaan, has demanded that the Supreme Court recall its November 20 order and that the Centre withdraw the new definition. Speaking to ANI, she said the revised criteria were introduced without adequate scientific assessment or public consultation. "There is nothing called sustainable mining in a critical mountain ecosystem like the Aravallis. You cannot define an entire range for mining," she said, calling the move "completely unacceptable." Ahluwalia cautioned that applying a uniform height-based definition to an ancient and complex ecosystem could severely affect water, food and climate security for millions of people. She also questioned the government's claim that only two per cent of the area would be impacted, alleging that no supporting data has been p[placed in the public domain. Pointing to earlier recommendations, Ahluwalia said the Supreme Court's Centrally Empowered Committee (CEC) had, in March 2024, called for a comprehensive environmental impact assessment of the Aravalli range, which has not yet been conducted. She claimed that mining, both legal and illegal, is already underway across 37 districts in the Aravalli belt, leading to deforestation, groundwater depletion, river pollution and serious health concerns. She said the campaign has demanded an immediate halt to mining near human habitation, forests and water bodies, and called for transparent data on how much of the Aravalli range would be protected under the old Forest Survey of India criteria versus the new 100-metre definition. "Until an independent assessment is done and people are consulted, this order must be recalled, and the definition scrapped," she added. (ANI)
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