The Congress on Tuesday welcomed the Supreme Court’s decision to stay its November 20 order on the new definition of the Aravalli range and urged the apex court to address three other pressing environmental matters.
"Yesterday’s Supreme Court order – recalling, on its own, its verdict on the redefinition of the Aravallis that had been delivered on Nov 20, 2025 and that had been enthusiastically embraced by the Modi Govt – was most necessary and welcome," Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh wrote on X.
Ramesh emphasised that the Supreme Court should take suo motu action on other key environmental issues as well.
"Now three other urgent tasks await the Honourable Supreme Court on environmental matters that should also be taken up suo moto like the Aravallis matter," he wrote.
He outlined the three issues:
1. Sariska Tiger Reserve: "On August 6, 2025, the Supreme Court had put on hold the proposal of the Govt of Rajasthan and the Govt of India to redraw the boundaries of the Sariska Tiger Reserve to enable the opening of around 57 closed mines. This proposal should be REJECTED categorically."
2. Retrospective Environmental Approvals: "On Nov 18, 2025, the Supreme Court had opened the door for a review of its own earlier verdict of May 16, 2025 that had barred retrospective environmental approvals. Such approvals go against the very foundations of jurisprudence and make a mockery of governance. The review was uncalled for. Retrospective approvals should NEVER be permitted. Laws, regulations, and rules are, quite often, deliberately by-passed in the confidence that the decision-making process can be managed even after project implementation starts."
3. National Green Tribunal (NGT): "The National Green Tribunal (NGT) was set up in Oct 2010 by an Act of Parliament after detailed consultations with the Supreme Court and with its full support and backing. Its powers have been thoroughly diluted over the past decade. The Supreme Court’s intervention is now essential to ensure that the NGT is allowed to function as per law without fear or favour."
The apex court on Monday kept in abeyance the directions in its November 20 verdict that had accepted a uniform definition of the Aravalli hills and ranges recommended by a committee of the ministry of environment, forest and climate change. It also proposed to constitute a high-powered committee comprising domain experts to undertake an exhaustive and holistic examination of the issue.
The committee had recommended that Aravalli Hill be defined as any landform in designated Aravalli districts with an elevation of 100 metres or more above its local relief, and the Aravalli Range will be a collection of two or more such hills within 500 metres of each other.
