The Supreme Court of India has proposed the constitution of a high-level 10-member committee to provide a clear, scientific, and uniform definition of the Aravalli range. This move, which has been accepted by the Union Environment Ministry, aims to end decades of legal ambiguity that has allowed large-scale illegal mining and encroachment across Rajasthan, Haryana, Delhi, and Gujarat. The Aravallis act as a critical ecological barrier against the desertification of the Indo-Gangetic plains and serve as a vital groundwater recharge zone for North India.
For too long, the lack of a standardized definition has been exploited by commercial interests to bypass environmental protections. By involving experts from the Forest Survey of India (FSI), ISRO, and environmental scientists, the court intends to create a definitive map and protection framework. Safeguarding the Aravallis is not just a legal necessity but an ecological imperative to ensure the climate resilience of the entire National Capital Region and beyond.
