Opinion: Saving Aravallis beyond height
The Western Ghats' legacy is missing in the SC’s Aravalli order. Ecology, not geometry, must define the hills.
Updated At : 07:00 AM Jan 09, 2026 IST
THE Supreme Court's December 29, 2025 order on the Aravalli hills has been welcomed as an act of judicial self-correction. By staying its own November ruling — which had introduced a 100-metre elevation threshold for identifying Aravalli hills — and by directing the formation of a new expert committee, the SC signalled a willingness to revisit concerns raised by scientists, conservationists and affected communities. Yet, even in its caution, the order reveals a conceptual gap: it suspends a contested definition without outlining a clear pathway for developing a more robust one.
