By BuzzEnviro News Desk | Updated: Dec 29, 2025, 4:15 PM IST
Location: NEW DELHI, India
Live Verdict Highlights:
The Stay: The Supreme Court has officially kept its November 20 order “in abeyance” (on hold), pausing the use of the 100-metre height rule to define Aravalli hills.
The Risk: CJI Surya Kant observed that the height-based definition created a “structural paradox” that could leave thousands of vital low-elevation hills unprotected from mining.
New Panel: A High-Powered Expert Committee will be formed to conduct a “multi-temporal investigation” of the range to ensure ecological continuity.
Next Hearing: The court has issued notices to the Centre and the four Aravalli states (Rajasthan, Haryana, Delhi, Gujarat) for a follow-up hearing on January 21, 2026.
NEW DELHI — In a major victory for environmentalists and the “Save Aravalli” movement, the Supreme Court of India today, December 29, halted the implementation of a new uniform definition of the Aravalli Hills. The bench, led by Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant, along with Justices JK Maheshwari and AG Masih, noted that the current criteria were being “misinterpreted” and could lead to unregulated mining in sensitive zones.
The ‘100-Metre’ Paradox
The controversy began in November when a committee recommended that only landforms rising 100 metres or more above the local ground level be classified as Aravalli hills.
However, internal data from the Forest Survey of India (FSI) recently revealed a shocking fact: out of 12,081 Aravalli hills, only 1,048 actually meet the 100-metre threshold. If this rule were followed, over 90% of the mountain range—which acts as a green wall against the Thar Desert—would have lost its protected status.
Why the Court Intervened Suo Motu
The Court took up the case on its own (suo motu) following massive public protests and warnings from environmentalists that the redefinition would “fragment” the range.
“We deem it necessary that the committee recommendation and directions of this court be kept in abeyance,” the CJI stated today. The court specifically questioned whether mining should be allowed in the 500-metre gaps between hills and emphasized that “ecological continuity” cannot be compromised for the sake of a simplified definition.
Political & Government Reaction
Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav welcomed the stay in a post on X (formerly Twitter), stating, “The government stands committed to the protection and restoration of the Aravalli range.” Meanwhile, opposition leaders like Jairam Ramesh hailed the move, calling it a “time to breathe” for the forest cover that protects the Delhi-NCR from terminal dust storms.
