Supreme Court Rejects Aravalli Panel Extension, Sets November Deadline

The Supreme Court bench headed by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant on Monday declined to extend the deadline for the Aravalli High-Powered Committee, rejecting the panel's plea for six additional months to prepare its final report on the definition and protection of the ecologically sensitive mountain range.

Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana, sitting alongside Chief Justice Kant, issued a two-month ultimatum for the committee to complete its work. The court warned that failure to submit the report by November 30 would result in the panel's reconstitution. "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," the Chief Justice remarked during the hearing.

The apex court-appointed committee had sought the extension, arguing that it required additional time to conduct a comprehensive and defensible assessment of the Aravalli range. However, the bench rejected this request, signalling its impatience with the pace of proceedings.

The Supreme Court initiated suo motu cognisance of the Aravalli issue in December of the previous year, amid controversy surrounding the definition of the hills that had been approved by the committee. The matter has drawn significant attention given the Aravalli range's critical importance as a water recharge zone and biodiversity hotspot spanning multiple states across northern India.