The Supreme Court-appointed Aravalli High-Powered Committee (HPC) has sought a six-month extension to submit its final report, saying additional time is required for a “comprehensive and defensible” assessment of the mountain range. In its compliance report submitted on August 31, the panel said it needs to integrate spatial, ecological, geological, hydrological, socio-economic and stakeholder evidence before reaching its conclusions. The committee, constituted through an apex court order on May 25 to independently review the Centre’s report on the definition and delineation of the Aravallis, was originally required to submit its final findings by August 31. It has now requested that the deadline be extended to February 28, 2027.
“The committee has… reached the view that additional time is necessary to complete the scientific process of geospatial assessment, sensitivity analysis, expert examination, field and stakeholder validation, and synthesis required for a comprehensive and defensible report,” the panel said. According to the committee, questions surrounding the Aravallis extend well beyond their technical delineation and cannot adequately be resolved through a “single terrain-based criterion or a single source of evidence”. It has consequently called for a broader examination covering the geological, geomorphological, hydrological, biogeographical, ecological, biodiversity, mineral-resource and socio-economic dimensions of the range.
Ecosystem approach proposed
As part of this exercise, the panel has proposed an “Aravalli Ecosystem Landscape” (AEL) framework that could identify areas possessing different socio-ecological characteristics and enable differentiated approaches to their conservation and management. The framework could also be used to assess whether the existing regulatory system adequately protects such areas. The committee has suggested that the proposed methodology be subjected to scrutiny and feedback from domain experts and concerned stakeholders before its conclusions are finalised.
Hundreds submit views
The committee undertook field visits between August 6 and 11 to conduct first-hand assessments of the Aravallis, with public hearings also held during the exercise. The panel said that, as of August 26, it had received around 680 representations through electronic and physical submissions. The additional six months, it said, would allow the scientific, field-level and stakeholder evidence to be examined together before recommendations are placed before the Supreme Court.