Activists Term Aravalli Hill Consultation Drive Hurried And Inadequate
Activists and local communities under the banner of Aravalli Virasat Jan Abhiyaan termed the public feedback drive on the Aravalli hill ranges "hurried" and "inadequate" as the 21-day consultation window closed on Tuesday. Speaking at a press conference at the Press Club in Delhi, representatives demanded that the Supreme Court-appointed High Powered Committee seek an extension beyond its August 31 deadline to allow broader public participation across affected districts, including Gurugram.
The High Powered Committee, constituted by the Supreme Court on May 25 and headed by Kanchan Devi, Director General of the Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education, had issued a public notice on July 21 inviting suggestions and objections via email and public hearings. However, critics pointed out that the consultation process covered only four cities—Gurugram, Alwar, Ajmer, and Udaipur—leaving out a vast majority of the 64 districts spanning the Aravalli range.
Activists highlighted that the consultation failed to reach vulnerable rural populations and communities affected by mining, as many villagers lack access to email. Neelam Ahluwalia, co-founder of Aravalli Virasat Jan Abhiyaan, stated that ground visits conducted by the committee between August 6 and August 10 largely skipped villages in favor of already protected areas. In Gurugram, the committee initially visited the Aravalli Biodiversity Park, while visiting Asola Bhatti Wildlife Sanctuary in Delhi and Mangar Bani in Faridabad.
The group also cited procedural lapses during hearings in other regions. In Udaipur, the scheduled hearing time was shifted from 3 p.m. to 10 a.m. without proper notification, making it difficult for villagers from distant districts such as Dungarpur, Banswada, Pratapgarh, and Chittorgarh to attend. Local leaders noted that even village sarpanches were unaware of meeting venues and timings, relying on local organizations to get information.
Community representatives detailed unaddressed environmental and health concerns caused by stone crushing and mining dust. Kailash Meena, leading local conservation efforts in north Rajasthan, said requests for committee members to visit affected sites in Sikar, Kotputli, and the Girjan river were not fulfilled. Similarly, Kailash Chand Yadhav of the Jodhpura Sangharsh Samiti stated that committee members failed to visit Jodhpura village, where residents, including young children, face respiratory issues from mining dust.
The High Powered Committee was set up after the Supreme Court stayed its November 20 judgment on December 29, 2025, keeping recommendations in abeyance. That previous ruling had adopted an environment ministry definition classifying an Aravalli hill as a landform rising at least 100 metres above surrounding terrain, which experts warned would exclude nearly 90 percent of the range from protection. The committee did not respond to requests for comment regarding whether it would seek an extension.
