New Delhi, Sept. 7 -- The Supreme Court on Monday rejected the Aravalli High-Powered Committee's (HPC) request for a six-month extension and directed it to submit its report by November 30. The matter will next be heard on December 2.
A bench headed by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and comprising Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana asked the panel to submit issue-specific interim reports to help the court address urgent questions. The CJI warned that the committee could be reconstituted if it failed to meet the deadline. "Let the panel work day and night to submit a report on the Aravalli issue," he said, adding that if it could not do so in two months, "we will reconstitute the whole panel."
The court also directed the committee to hear all stakeholders, including tribal communities in Rajasthan and Gujarat.
The HPC, constituted on May 25, had sought time until February 28, 2027, saying it needed to combine spatial, ecological, geological, hydrological, socio-economic and stakeholder evidence for a "comprehensive and defensible" assessment. Its earlier deadline was August 31.
The committee is reviewing the Centre's report after the court's November 20, 2025 ruling adopted a 100-metre elevation test for Aravalli Hills and a 500-metre proximity criterion for the Range. The ruling was stayed on December 29 amid concerns that over 90% of the region could lose protection.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.