Supreme Court Constitutes High-Powered Expert Committee To Reassess Definition Of Aravalli Hills
LIVELAW NEWS NETWORK
3 Jun 2026 9:33 AM IST
The Supreme Court has constituted a five-member High-Powered Expert Committee to undertake a comprehensive review of issues relating to the definition and demarcation of the Aravalli Hills and Ranges, observing that decisions with far-reaching environmental consequences should not be taken without the benefit of expert evaluation.
A bench comprising Chief Justice of India, Justice Joymalya Bagchi and Justice Vipul M. Pancholi passed the order in the suo motu proceedings concerning the definition of the Aravalli Hills and Ranges. The Court noted that it had earlier expressed the need for an independent expert assessment of a report submitted on October 3, 2025, which formed the basis of extensive directions issued by the Court regarding the identification and protection of the Aravalli ecosystem.
The Court observed that expert scrutiny was necessary to address concerns about whether the existing definition, which restricts the Aravalli Range to areas within 500 metres between two or more Aravalli hills, could substantially narrow the protected area and expand the scope of “non-Aravalli” regions, thereby facilitating mining and other disruptive activities in ecologically connected areas. The Committee has also been tasked with examining concerns that only 1,048 out of 12,081 hills in Rajasthan meet the prescribed 100-metre elevation threshold and whether this leaves a large number of hill formations without environmental protection.
Emphasising the fragile ecosystem and rich biodiversity of the Aravallis, the Court said the Committee would be expected to objectively assess whether implementation of the proposed measures could result in ecological or environmental consequences that may later prove difficult or impossible to reverse. It added that any eventual decision must be scientifically sound and consistent with the principles of environmental protection and sustainable development.
The Committee will be headed ex officio by the Director General of the Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education (ICFRE). Its members include Dr. Subhash Ashutosh, former Director General 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 in the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC); and Prof. Ashok K. Bhatnagar, former Head of the Department of Botany at Delhi University.
The Court also named Professor Jagdish Krishnaswamy of the Indian Institute for Human Settlements and Professor Laxmikant Sharma of the Central University of Haryana as special invitees to be associated with the Committee from time to time. An officer of the rank of Director in the MoEFCC will serve as Member Secretary.
Noting that the issues involved affect a broad spectrum of stakeholders, including the governments of Delhi, Rajasthan and Haryana, environmental groups, mining lease holders, farmers, mine workers and local communities, the Court directed the Committee to issue a public notice inviting representations and suggestions from all interested persons and entities.
The Committee has been directed to submit its comprehensive report by August 31, 2026. The matter will next be taken up on September 7, 2026.
Background
In December 2025, the Court took suo motu cognizance 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 this 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.
Case no. – SMW(C) No. 10/2025
Case Title – In Re: Definition of Aravalli Hills and Ranges and Ancillary Issues
