SC-Appointed High-Powered Committee Proposes Ecosystem-Based Delineation for the Aravallis

Key Highlights & Summary

 • A High-Powered Committee (HPC) constituted by the Supreme Court cautioned against releasing premature area estimates, stating that the Aravalli hills cannot be scientifically delineated using a single terrain-based elevation yardstick. 

• In a compliance report submitted on August 31, the HPC requested a six-month extension until February 28, 2027, to formulate a transparent, reproducible, and scientifically defensible definition for the Aravalli range. 

• The panel proposed an \'Aravalli Ecosystem Landscape\' framework that treats the region as an interconnected ecological entity rather than a fragmented collection of isolated hills. 

• This holistic approach integrates core hill systems with recorded forests, protected areas, sacred sites (\'Orans\'), traditional pastures, wetlands, critical catchments, groundwaterrecharge zones, and archaeologically significant sites.

  • The review follows criticisms that an earlier October 2025 report—recommending a rigid 100-metre height threshold— suppressed Forest Survey of India (FSI) warnings that such a criteria would exclude nearly 90% of the Aravalli hills.

 • Using high-resolution CartoDEM data, Copernicus 30-metre digital elevation models, and district resource maps, the HPC is conducting comparative feasibility assessments across sample districts including Alwar, Ajmer, and Udaipur, validated by the NRSC and ISRO.

 Essential Definitions

 • Aravalli Ecosystem Landscape Framework: An integrated conservation methodology that evaluates topographical, hydrological, biological, and socio-economic dimensions together to delineate protected mountain zones.

 • CartoDEM / Digital Elevation Model (DEM): A high-resolution 3D digital representation of terrain surface topology created through satellite remote sensing data to analyze elevation, slopes, and landforms.

 • Orans: Community-conserved sacred groves and traditional pastures in Rajasthan that play a critical role in local biodiversity preservation and groundwater recharge.

 Legal and Constitutional Framework

 • Environment (Protection) Act, 1986: Provides powers to the Central Government to restrict industrial activities and mining in ecologically fragile zones like the Aravalli range via specific notifications. 

• Central Empowered Committee (CEC): A statutory body set up under the Supreme Court\'s oversight to monitor compliance with environmental judicial mandates and forest conservation laws. 

• Article 48A of the Indian Constitution: Mandates the State to protect and improve the natural environment, safeguarding the nation\'s forests, wildlife, and natural ecosystems.

 • Article 51A(g) of the Indian Constitution: Fundamental Duty of citizens to protect and improve the natural environment, including forests, lakes, rivers, and wildlife. 

Conclusion Transitioning from a rigid elevation-based threshold to a comprehensive ecosystemlandscape framework ensures that low-lying contiguous hills, recharge zones, and sacred forests receive necessary statutory protection. Scientific validation by remote sensing agencies like NRSC and ISRO is essential to prevent ecological degradation, combat desertification, and balance sustainable development across the Aravalli belt.

 UPSC Relevance

 • GS Paper III: Conservation, Environmental Pollution and Degradation, Environmental Impact Assessment; Role of GIS and Remote Sensing in Environmental Management. 

• Prelims Focus: Geography of the Aravalli Range, Forest Survey of India (FSI), National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC), CartoDEM, definition of sacred groves (\'Orans\'), and Central Empowered Committee (CEC) mandates