Apex court's stay on Aravallis order hailed across party lines

Leaders across political lines and environmentalists on Monday welcomed the Supreme Court's stay on its November 20 judgment that narrowed the definition of the Aravalli range, with Union environment minister Bhupender Yadav promising alll assistance in the protection and restoration of the Aravallis.

- Jayashree Nandi

The Opposition, too, hailed the verdict but called for Yadav’s resignation, saying the order was a “rejection of all the arguments he has been giving in favour of the redefinition”.

The top court on Monday “put in abeyance” its November 20 ruling to accept an expert committee’s recommendation to define the Aravallis purely on an elevation-based criterion. Under that definition, only landforms rising at least 100 metres above the local relief, measured from the lowest contour encircling the landform to its peak, qualify as the Aravalli hills.

Hearing the matter suo motu, a bench comprising Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and justices JK Maheshwari and AG Masih also proposed the constitution of a high-powered expert committee to assess concerns relating to the height-based definition, ecological continuity, and permissible mining.

“Twelcome the Supreme Court directions introducing a stay on its order concerning the Aravalli range, and the formation of anew committee to study issues. We stand committed to extending all assistance sought from MOEFCC in the protection and restoration of the Aravalli range,” Yadav said ina post on X.

“As things stand, a complete ban on mining stays with regards tonew mining leases or renewal of old mining leases.” he added.