In Rajasthan’s Aravalli mining belt, residents of villages such as Syalodra and Jodhpura-Mohanpura say dust and blasting have taken a heavy toll on their health. As the Supreme Court-appointed panel reviews the Aravallis’ boundaries, affected communities fear their concerns may remain unheard
Supreme Court directed that the expert committee on defining Aravalli hills must be small, consult stakeholders and domain experts, and ensure public participation. The court stressed manageability and halted mining activity pending final scientific clarity on classification criteria
The Supreme Court has refused to grant relief to mining lease holders in the Aravalli range, citing "disturbing" feedback. A bench led by CJI Surya Kant emphasized that no activity will be permitted until ecological concerns and the technical definition of the hills are fully resolved
The Environment Ministry has no objection to the Supreme Court’s proposed 10-member expert committee to define the Aravalli hills. Headed by Kanchan Devi, the committee includes forest, geological, and academic experts to examine ecological and policy aspects comprehensively
The fact that the SC felt it necessary to constitute a new expert committee to review not only the findings of the earlier panel but also to clarify other issues suggests that the report was prepared in haste
