New Delhi [India], September 7 : The Supreme Court on Monday granted the High Powered Committee (HPC) time till November 30 to submit its report on the definition and demarcation of the Aravalli Hills, rejecting its request for an extension till February 2027.
A bench of Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana directed the committee to work “day and night”, if required, and made it clear that no further extension would be granted.
The HPC had sought six more months to complete the exercise, citing the need to hear all stakeholders, including tribal communities in Rajasthan and Gujarat.
“The committee has basically asked for an adjournment till my retirement,” the CJI remarked during the hearing. CJI is scheduled to retire on February 9.
The bench said the committee must submit a final report and may file issue-specific interim reports to enable the court to deal with urgent aspects separately.
Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati, appearing for the Centre, told the bench that an interim report had already been prepared but more time was required to effectively hear affected parties.
The court was hearing the suo motu proceedings concerning the definition and demarcation of the Aravalli range.
The Aravalli Range functions as the ecological lifeline of northwestern India, acting as a vital natural barrier between the arid desert regions of the northwest and the fertile plains of northern India.
The proceedings followed the Supreme Court’s November 2025 judgment accepting an elevation-based definition of the Aravalli Hills for regulating mining activities. The judgment was subsequently kept in abeyance amid concerns over its ecological implications and the extent of the area that would receive protection.
The matter will next be heard on December 2.
In May this year, the apex court had set up a five-member High-Powered Committee to formulate a uniform definition and demarcation of the ecologically sensitive Aravalli Hills and Range for regulating future mining activities.
It had directed the committee to submit a conservation report by August 31.