THE Supreme Court on Monday took a strong exception to the High-Powered Committee (HPC) seeking time till February next year to complete its exercise on the definition and protection of the Aravalli Hills and Ranges, and directed it to submit its final report by November 30. A Bench of Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V. Mohana made it clear that no further extension would be granted to the committee, whose earlier deadline expired on August 31. During the hearing, CJI Surya Kant remarked that the committee’s request for time till February 28, 2027, effectively sought a date after his retirement. “The committee has basically asked for an adjournment till my retirement,” CJI Kant observed.

 

The apex court said that if the committee was unable to complete the exercise within the extended timeframe, it could consider reconstituting the panel. The CJI Kant-led Bench directed the committee to complete its work by November 30 and, if necessary, “work day and night” to meet the deadline. It also stressed that the committee must undertake an effective consultation process before finalising its findings and directed it to hear all relevant stakeholders, including tribal communities in Rajasthan and Gujarat. The Supreme Court further permitted the HPC to place issue-specific interim reports before it wherever necessary, enabling the top court to consider urgent issues concerning the Aravalli Hills without waiting for the completion of the entire exercise.

 

During the hearing, Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati informed the CJI Kant-led Bench that an interim report had already been prepared. “The committee should come with a final report, not merely an interim report,” the apex court said. ASG Bhati submitted that the committee needed additional time to hear all stakeholders effectively and place relevant material before it. The Centre’s law officer said that the affected parties had received only limited opportunity to present their views and that a proper hearing would be required before the committee finalised its recommendations. However, the Supreme Court declined the request for a six-month extension till February 28, 2027, and granted time only until November 30 for submission of the final report.

 

The matter has been listed for further hearing on December 2. The proceedings stem from a suo motu case concerning the definition of the Aravalli Hills and Ranges. In June, the Supreme Court had constituted a five-member High-Powered Committee headed by the Director General of the Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education (ICFRE) to undertake a comprehensive scientific assessment of issues relating to the definition and demarcation of the ecologically sensitive Aravalli Hills and Ranges. The committee was asked to examine the environmental, geological and ecological implications of the parameters adopted for identifying the Aravalli range and submit its report by August 31. The apex court had directed the HPC to adopt a broad-based consultative approach and invite suggestions from all relevant stakeholders, including Governments, environmentalists, conservationists, non-profit organisations, mining lease holders, project proponents, farmers, mine workers and local communities.