Congress Demands Judicial Review of Supreme Court‑Accepted Aravalli Definition

Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on Thursday called for an urgent review of a Supreme Court‑accepted definition of the Aravalli Hills, warning that the new criteria could strip legal protection from about 90 per cent of the range and open vast tracts to mining and construction.

In a post on his official X, Ramesh said the Union Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change had recommended the “100‑metre‑above‑local‑relief” definition to the Supreme Court “ostensibly to restrict mining,” but that the threshold would effectively exclude most of the Aravalli Hills from being classified as such.

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“The Aravalli Hills extend from Delhi through Haryana and Rajasthan to Gujarat… Over the years, they have been devastated by mining, construction, and other activities in violation of all regulations and laws,” he wrote, adding that the revised definition “will have very grave environmental and public‑health consequences.”

The Supreme Court, in a November 20 judgment on the issue relating to the definition of the Aravali Hills and Ranges case, formally adopted the ministry’s recommendation, setting a uniform definition for “Aravalli Hills” as any landform in the designated districts with an elevation of at least 100 metres above its local relief — a criterion that experts say would leave out lower hills crucial for curbing desertification and air-quality deterioration in the National Capital Region.

“The court’s acceptance of this definition is bizarre and calls for an immediate review. The road to hell is indeed paved with good intentions,” Ramesh said in his post.

The Forest Survey of India had earlier cautioned that the 100‑metre cutoff would protect only a few “guard posts” while surrendering the “fences below,” potentially exposing large areas to dust from the Thar desert and endangering livelihoods and health in Delhi‑NCR.

Environment Secretary Tanmay Kumar defended the government’s position in a written reply, saying the Supreme Court “commended the work of the committee” and “appreciated its recommendations aimed at preventing illegal mining and permitting only sustainable mining in the Aravalli Hills and Ranges.”

The Supreme Court’s order also halted the grant of fresh mining leases until the Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education prepares a comprehensive Management Plan for Sustainable Mining (MPSM) for the entire Aravalli stretch.
The Congress has now formally requested a judicial review of the definition, urging the apex court to reconsider the criteria before the MPSM is finalised. The matter remains pending before the Supreme Court.