The Centre on Monday backed the appointment of senior Indian Forest Service (IFS) officer Kanchan Devi as chairperson of the High-Powered Expert Committee (HPEC) tasked with redefining the Aravali Hills and Ranges.
The matter came up before the Supreme Court, which reserved its decision on the composition of the committee that will freshly determine the extent, forest cover, and geographical definition of the Aravali region.
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Supreme Court Reviewing Aravali Definition After Mining Concerns
The apex court had earlier kept in abeyance its November 20 judgement that accepted the “100-metre elevation” criteria for defining the Aravali Hills.
A bench comprising Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul M Pancholi observed that the expert panel should not become too large, as it could become difficult to manage effectively.
The court clarified that the HPEC would be free to consult institutions and co-opt domain experts whenever necessary during its study.
Centre, CEC and Amicus Suggest Common Expert Members
Appearing for the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati supported the recommendations made by the Central Empowered Committee (CEC).
The Centre, CEC, and amicus curiae senior advocate K Parameshwar jointly proposed four common names as committee members:
- Subhash Ashutosh
- Rajendra Kumar Sharma
- C N Pandey
- Dharmendra Prakash
Supreme Court Refuses to Allow Mining in Aravali Region
Senior advocate A S Nadkarni requested the court to permit legal mining activities by licence holders, but the bench declined, saying it could create confusion before the HPEC submits its findings.
The Supreme Court has consistently refused to allow mining activities in the Aravali region since December last year.
Court Had Halted Mining After Environmental Concerns
On December 29, the Supreme Court took suo motu cognisance of concerns raised by environmentalists regarding the earlier judgment on Aravali classification.
The court subsequently ordered a halt to all mining activities and restrained authorities from granting or renewing mining leases in the Aravali region until the matter reaches “logical finality.”
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