Aravalli Hills : Supreme Court Records Rajasthan's Assurance To Ensure No Illegal Mining; Proposes To Form Expert Committee
Anmol Kaur Bawa
21 Jan 2026 2:47 PM IST
The Supreme Court on Tuesday recorded an assurance on behalf of the Rajasthan Government that no mining activities would be permitted in the Aravalli region.
A Bench comprising Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, Justice Joymalya Bagchi and Justice Vipul Pancholi, hearing the suo motu case taken on the issue of definition of Aravalli hills, continued the interim order passed earlier, under which the Court had kept its previous directions on the changed definition of Aravalli Hills in abeyance.
During the hearing, the Chief Justice observed that some illegal activities were continuing in the region and cautioned that illegal mining could lead to irreversible consequences.
Appearing for the State of Rajasthan, Additional Solicitor General KM Natraj stated that the State would forthwith ensure that no illegal mining takes place. The Court specifically asked Rajasthan to ensure that no mining activities occur in the Aravalli area, an assurance that was recorded by the Bench.
The Bench allowed an intervention application, filed by Danish Zubair Khan and argued by Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal, assisted by Advocates George Pothan Poothicote and Manisha Singh. All other intervention applications, the Court clarified, would be examined by the amicus curiae, Senior Advocate K Parameshwar, and to be considered in a non-adversarial manner.
Senior Advcoate Raju Ramachandran, appearing for certain farmers from Rajasthan, submitted that some fresh mining leases have been granted, which should be stopped.
CJI said that illegal activiities will be strictly dealt with. "For some illegal acts where larger lands are there.. people will do it and once you inform us we will take steps. Illegal mining can lead to irreversible steps and illicit mining has to be stopped. It is an ex facie crime and will be punished. But let not fresh writs be filed. It diverts the focus from the main issue," CJI said.
Sibal said that "mountains cannot be defined.". "Can you define the Himalayas? The Aravalli's? There is subtectonic strata which keeps changing. We need a preliminary hearing for half an hour. If Aravalli is defined, then it will be the start of a problem," he submitted.
The Bench indicated that it would constitute an expert body and directed ASG Aishwarya Bhati (for Union) and the amicus to suggest names of environmentalists and scientists with expertise in mining and related fields. The proposed committee would function under the direction and supervision of the Court.
Referring to its order dated December 29, 2025, the Chief Justice reiterated that a comprehensive note along with key questions would be placed on record to enable the Court to take an informed view.
The Bench directed that the matters be listed after four weeks, with the interim order continuing in the meantime.
Background
The Court took suo motu cognizance of the issue in December last year after public protests and concerns raised by environmental groups and civil society organizations over the revised definition of the Aravalli Hills, a region known for its ecological importance, including its role in preventing desertification and sustaining groundwater levels. It was apprehended that dilution of the definition could legitimize mining and construction activities in areas that were earlier treated as protected.
The issue arose due to differing definitions of the Aravalli Hills and Aravalli Ranges across Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan and Gujarat, which had resulted in regulatory gaps and instances of illegal mining. To address these inconsistencies, the Supreme Court had earlier constituted a high-level committee.
In a judgment delivered in November last year, the Court accepted the operational definition recommended by a committee of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change in the context of mining.
As per the accepted definition, “Aravalli Hills” refers to any landform in designated districts with a minimum elevation of 100 metres from the local relief, including supporting slopes and connected landforms. An “Aravalli Range” is formed when two or more such hills are located within 500 metres of each other.
While accepting the definition, the Court had also directed the Union Government to prepare a comprehensive Management Plan for Sustainable Mining before permitting any new mining activity in the ecologically sensitive Aravalli region.
Case no. – SMW(C) No. 10/2025
Case Title – In Re: Definition of Aravalli Hills and Ranges and Ancillary Issues