Picture : ANI/X
The Supreme Court has , rejected a plea by the High-Powered Committee (HPC) seeking a six-month extension to submit its report on the definition and protection of the Aravalli Hills and directed it to submit the report by November 30.
A bench of Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana directed the panel to submit issue-specific interim reports to enable the court to decide the matter and warned that in case of failure, it will reconstitute the committee.
“Let the panel work day and night to submit a report on the Aravalli issue, if they are unable to do that in two months, we will reconstitute the whole panel,” CJI observed.
In its plea, the apex court-appointed Aravalli HPC asked the top court to extend the deadline for submission of its final report by six months, saying it needs more time for a “comprehensive and defensible” assessment of the Aravalli range.
The bench said that the committee must hear all stakeholders, including tribal communities in Rajasthan and Gujarat, and may submit issue-specific interim reports to enable the court to resolve urgent questions separately. The court then listed the matter for December 2.
On December 28 last year, amid a row over the definition of Aravalli hills approved by it, the top court took suo motu cognisance of the issue.
The committee, constituted through an order dated May 25, has been conducting an independent review of the Centre’s report on the definition and delineation of the Aravallis.
The deadline for the panel’s final report was August 31.
In its compliance report submitted on August 31, the committee said it needs to bring together spatial, ecological, geological, hydrological, socio-economic, and stakeholder evidence before arriving at its conclusions regarding the Aravallis.
“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,” said the panel in its compliance report.
It has urged the top court to extend the deadline for submission of the final report to February 28, 2027.
Reacting to o the SC move Senior Congress leader and party General Secretary in-charge Communications, Jairam Ramesh Tweeted on x , Unfortunately & inexplicably the Supreme Court has, in its wisdom, denied the most justifiable request of the High Powered Committee on the Aravallis for an extension of 6 months beyond Aug 31,2026 to submit its final report.
Unfortunately & inexplicably the Supreme Court has, in its wisdom, denied the most justifiable request of the High Powered Committee on the Aravallis for an extension of 6 months beyond Aug 31,2026 to submit its final report. https://t.co/LVqvkIIdkr
— Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) September 7, 2026
