New Delhi’s Supreme Court is stepping up efforts to rescue the Aravali hills from illegal mining onslaughts. In a landmark directive, it has mandated status quo preservation and tasked state governments with ensuring zero tolerance for unlawful extraction activities.
The Wednesday proceedings before CJI Suryakant’s bench revealed alarming non-compliance with existing court orders. Farmers from Rajasthan, through advocate Raju Ramchandran, submitted evidence of fresh mining leases and tree felling post the 2024 Justice Oka ruling. The court, appalled, labeled these acts criminal and demanded immediate action.
Announcing a specialized committee under its watchful eye, CJI remarked, ‘Experts from respective domains will form this body to report on Aravali matters, guided entirely by court instructions.’ Officials were prodded to mobilize resources against the ‘destructive’ impacts of rogue mining.
Parties must propose candidates including ecologists, researchers, and industry veterans. The bench delineated that forest and Aravali classifications merit distinct scrutiny. Amicus K. Parameshwar got a four-week deadline for his detailed positional paper.
Building on a prior stay of its own amendment orders, this development marks a robust judicial shield for Aravali’s survival. As urbanization and greed encroach, the verdict promises renewed hope for ecological balance in northern India.