Environmentalists urge Supreme Court panel to broaden Aravalli consultations ahead of deadline

Environmentalists and conservationists have written to the Supreme Court-constituted high-powered committee studying the Aravalli mountain range, alleging that the panel has not conducted adequate scientific study, public consultation, or field visits across the region. The Aravalli Virasat Jan Abhiyan (AVJA), a coalition of activists, said on Tuesday that concerns have been flagged as the committee approaches its August 31 deadline to submit its report.

The AVJA said independent experts and conservationists have written to the committee expressing similar concerns. The coalition has long campaigned for the protection of the Aravallis and has called for a scientific and participatory approach to their conservation.

Pradip Krishen, an ecological restoration practitioner who has worked in the Aravalli landscapes of Delhi, Haryana, and Rajasthan for two decades, said the committee has a historic opportunity to conduct a cumulative environmental and social impact study spanning all 64 Aravalli districts. “Aravallis need a cumulative Environmental and Social Impact Study spanning all 64 Aravalli districts,” he said.

Stalin Dayanand, director of the nature conservation organisation Vanashakti, urged the committee to seek more time, broaden the consultation process, involve independent experts, and listen to rural and adivasi communities. He also recommended including knowledgeable local citizens in field visits. “Protecting the Aravallis is a responsibility to future generations. The decisions taken today could determine whether future generations inherit a healthy and functioning ecological system or a severely damaged landscape,” he said.

The Supreme Court had on December 29, 2025, kept in abeyance its November 20, 2025 judgment that upheld a government expert panel's definition restricting the Aravallis to hills with an elevation of 100 metres or above, and hill clusters, slopes, and hillocks located within 500 metres of each other. That judgment was based on a report submitted by a committee headed by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) Secretary.

On May 25, 2026, the top court constituted the high-powered committee with the Director General of the Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education (ICFRE) as chairperson. An officer of the rank of Director in the MoEF&CC, nominated by the government, serves as member secretary. The committee is tasked with comprehensively evaluating the October 3, 2025 report that formed the basis of the November 20 judgment.

The Aravalli range, considered among the world's oldest surviving mountain systems, spans across several Indian states. The deliberations of the committee carry significant implications for environmental policy and land-use decisions in the region. The activists' letter emphasises the need for a thorough and inclusive process before any final recommendations are made.