Overview
- A three-judge bench led by Chief Justice Surya Kant stayed its November 20 ruling and directed a newly constituted expert committee to consult stakeholders before any definition is adopted.
- The court asked the panel to test whether areas under 100 metres or gaps beyond 500 metres form a contiguous ecological system that warrants protection rather than permitting regulated mining in the intervening spaces.
- The committee must verify widely cited figures that only 1,048 of 12,081 Rajasthan hills meet the 100‑metre threshold and advise whether comprehensive scientific and geological mapping is required.
- Records show an earlier FSI‑GSI‑SoI sub‑committee found available delineation methods produced false positives and negatives and recommended further study, yet a ministry‑led panel advanced the 100‑metre rule as an operational standard.
- Environmental experts underscore the Aravallis’ role in blocking desert winds, protecting air quality and groundwater, and research reports about 32% green‑cover loss and roughly 8% hill disappearance since 1975.