The Supreme Court on Thursday (February 26, 2026) asked the environment ministry and other stakeholders to suggest the names of domain experts for a panel to define the Aravalli hills and ranges, noting that only legal mining would be allowed in the region.
The Supreme Court on December 29 took cognizance of the outcry over the new definition of the Aravallis and kept quiet its November 20 directions accepting a uniform definition of these hills and ranges. This also halted all mining activity.
It noted that “critical ambiguities” needed to be resolved, including whether the 100-metre elevation and 500-metre gap between hills criteria would take away a significant part of the scope of environmental protection.
On Thursday (February 26, 2026), the high court comprising Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul M. Pancholi extended its earlier stay order for the time being.
During the hearing, Senior Advocate Mukul Rohatgi, who appeared as a litigant, said that the impugned company has a valid mining license and after a protracted battle, it got the right to mine and now, due to the order of this court, the same is suspended.
“We will allow only legal mining…let the experts (definition) tell us. We will cross all the bridges and reach the right destination,” the CJI said.
The bench also asked lawyer Jay Cheema to assist it in hearing the case. Senior advocate K. Parmeswar is already assisting the bench as amicus curiae.
“We request the Ministry (Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change) to draft a panel of experts in the respective field along with their profiles. The senior counsels are also requested to provide profiles of some experts in important fields for the purpose of constituting the committee as found by this court,” the Bench said.
The bench said it was aware of the fact that all activities, especially mining by licensed firms, had also stopped. “However, such status quo will have to be maintained for the time being till certain preliminary questions are answered gradually. Publish the matter… for constitution of the committee,” the CJI said.
The Supreme Court Bench also asked the interested parties to submit their written submissions by March 10 after the amicus curiae submitted its submissions to the Bench on the aspect of definitions of Aravalli hills and ranges.
The bench said it would constitute a panel of experts and framework matters to be decided on the next date of hearing.
The bench had earlier said that prima facie it appears that the committee’s earlier report and verdict “failed to expressly clarify certain critical issues” and there was an “urgent need for further scrutiny” to avoid any regulatory loopholes that could undermine the ecological integrity of the Aravalli region.
It has also directed, as stated in the order dated 9 May 2024, that until further orders, no mining permit shall be granted in the “Aravalli Hills and Ranges” as defined in the FSI report dated 25 August 2010, without its prior permission.
“There has been significant outcry among environmentalists who have expressed deep concern over the possibility of misinterpretation and mis-implementation of the newly adopted definition and directions of this court,” the Bench said.
On 20 November 2025, the Supreme Court adopted a uniform definition of the Aravalli Hills and Range and banned the granting of new mining leases in its areas comprising Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan and Gujarat until expert reports are published.
It has accepted the recommendations of the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change Committee on the definition of the Aravalli Hills and Range to protect the world’s oldest mountain system.
The committee recommended that “Aravalli Hill” be defined as any landform in the designated Aravalli districts with an elevation of 100 meters or more above the local relief and that “Aravalli Range” be a set of two or more such hills within 500 meters of each other.
Published – 26 Feb 2026 22:18 IST
