The Supreme Court constituted a five-member high-powered expert committee on June 2, 2026, to review the definition and delineation of the Aravalli hills and ranges.
The panel is chaired by Kanchan Devi, director general of the Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education. It must examine a report submitted in October 2025 by a ministry-led committee whose implementation the court stayed in December.
The court flagged ambiguities including whether limiting an Aravalli range to areas within 500 metres between hills narrows protected territory and whether only 1,048 of 12,081 hills in Rajasthan meet a 100-metre elevation threshold.
The expert committee is directed to submit a comprehensive assessment by August 31, 2026. The matter is listed next on September 7. Environmental petitioners have questioned the independence of a panel headed by an officer reporting to the government.
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Sources:
https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/