Stating that illegal mining can cause irreparable damage to the environment, the Supreme Court on Wednesday said that an expert committee will be constituted to conduct a comprehensive and comprehensive inquiry into mining and related issues in the Aravalli.
A bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant, Justice Jaimalya Bagchi and Justice Bipul M. Phanoli directed Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati, amicus curiae K to recommend names of environmentalists and scientists with expertise on mining within four weeks. The bench said that the committee will work under the direction and supervision of the court.
The Supreme Court also extended its order, which had on November 20 stayed the order that had adopted a uniform definition of the Aravalli hills and mountains. During the hearing, the Supreme Court was informed that illegal mining was going on in various places. The bench also accepted the assurance of Additional Solicitor General KM Nataraj, appearing for the Rajasthan government, that no such unauthorized mining would take place.
Amidst the uproar over the new definition of the Aravalli, the Supreme Court on December 29 last year had stayed the order that had adopted a uniform definition of the hills and mountains on November 20. On November 20, the Supreme Court adopted a uniform definition of the Aravalli hills and mountains and stayed the grant of new mining leases in the states of Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan and Gujarat till the expert report is published. The court accepted the recommendations of a committee of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change on the definition of the Aravalli hills and mountains to protect the world’s oldest mountain system. The committee recommended that any land in the Aravalli district with a height of 100 meters or more above its local relief be considered as the Aravalli Hills and two or more such hills within 500 meters of each other be considered as the Aravalli Range.
