Aravallis need the Supreme Court’s shield |
The threats to the Aravallis are well documented. On more than one occasion in the past 30 years, the Supreme Court has ruled against violations of environmental norms in the mountain range. Last year, the Court found that the inconsistency in criteria used to define the hills was one of the major reasons for illegal quarrying in the Aravallis. It asked the Union environment ministry to establish a committee to frame a scientifically grounded definition of the mountain range. The panel submitted its report in October, and the apex court gave its imprimatur about a month later. However, the new criteria to define the Aravalli hills — only landforms at an elevation of........