Aravallis cannot be defined by height, any single criterion, says SC panel

The committee set up to conduct a survey and study of the Aravallis has informed the Supreme Court that the mountain range’s complex landscape cannot be defined using a single terrain or height-based criterion, The Times of India reported on Friday.

It has sought time till February to complete the exercise.

The committee, formed in May, was tasked with defining the Aravallis after the Supreme Court’s adoption of a definition by a Union environment ministry panel led to widespread protests, particularly in Rajasthan. The definition recognised only hills with an elevation of 100 metres or more as part of the Aravallis and was adopted by the court in November.

The court stayed its decision in December amid concerns that the changed definition of the Aravallis could lead to unregulated mining and severe environmental degradation.

In the report submitted to the court, the committee said that it needed to carry out detailed mapping, field inspections, expert assessments and consultations with stakeholders before submitting its final recommendations, The Times of India reported.

“Defining the ancient, and in parts severely degraded, ranges that run between Gujarat and Delhi isn’t an easy task because the Aravallis lack uniformity,” the newspaper quoted the committee as having stated.

The 700-km Aravalli mountain range stretches diagonally from southwest Gujarat, through Rajasthan, to Delhi and Haryana. Its highest point is...

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