Prominent scientists, environmental policy experts and conservation organisations from across the country have written to the Chief Justice of India (CJI) seeking changes to the newly constituted Supreme Court committee examining the protection of the Aravalli range, arguing that the panel lacks the independence and expertise for such a critical task.
In representations submitted on June 18 and 19, the experts raised concerns over the composition of the committee formed under the Supreme Court’s May 25, 2026, order, contending that it does not meet the standards of an independent High-Powered Expert Committee envisaged by the court in its December 29, 2025, suo motu proceedings.
Stalin Dayanand, Director of Vanashakti, said the committee could not be considered impartial as its Chairperson and Member Secretary were linked to institutions under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC), whose earlier recommendations were now under review.
Joseph Hoover, Managing Trustee of the United Conservation Movement, alleged that the MoEFCC had ignored findings of a September 2025 Forest Survey of India (FSI) report that highlighted the importance of low-lying hills as barriers against desertification. He questioned discrepancies between the FSI report, which identified 63 Aravalli districts, and the ministry’s affidavit before the SC, which referred to only 37 districts.
Veteran environmentalist Dr Ravi Chopra, who has previously chaired Supreme Court-appointed committees on environmental matters, expressed doubts about the panel’s ability to provide unbiased recommendations. “Government officials and scientists from government-funded institutions rarely record views contrary to those of the government, despite expressing concerns during discussions,” he wrote to the CJI.
Geoscientist Prof CP Rajendran said the committee should include independent environmentalists, ecologists, hydrologists, scientists and public health experts rather than being dominated by serving or retired officials. Environment and policy expert Sagar Dhara noted that the Supreme Court had previously appointed eminent independent experts, such as Dr Ravi Chopra and physicist Prof MGK Menon, to head high-powered committees dealing with environmental issues.
Pushkar Kulkarni of Save Pune Hills said any assessment of mining in the Aravallis would be incomplete without examining its impact on health and livelihoods.
Odisha-based environmentalist Prafulla Samantara demanded that neither the Chairperson nor the Member Secretary be serving officers of the MoEFCC or its affiliated institutions.
Environmentalist Samita Kaur called for the inclusion of experts in ecology, wildlife, hydrology, occupational health and traditional livelihoods, while Dr Sumita Kale of Pune urged that the committee submit its report directly to the SC and be granted additional time beyond the August 31 deadline to conduct consultations across all Aravalli districts.
