Jaipur: The Supreme Court-appointed High-Powered Committee (HPC), tasked with examining the definition, ecological status and conservation of the Aravalli mountain range, will visit Rajasthan’s Vagad region from October 11 to 13.
The committee will inspect the Paldeval-Sarkan area of Dungarpur district and the Kevadiya-Kothara area of Banswara district to assess ground realities concerning mining, forests, land use and the livelihoods of local communities, particularly tribal populations.
The visit follows the committee’s tour of the Aravalli region in Gujarat from October 8 to 10. During its Rajasthan visit, the panel will conduct field inspections and interact with local residents and other stakeholders.
Its findings will contribute to a comprehensive report that the Supreme Court has directed it to submit by November 30 this year.
In an order dated May 25, 2026, the Supreme Court constituted a five-member High-Powered Committee chaired by the Director General of the Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education (ICFRE).
The committee was tasked with independently examining the previously-formulated definition of the Aravalli range and the process used to demarcate the hills based on that definition.
The exercise is intended to assess the region’s ecological characteristics and address concerns relating to its conservation.
The committee’s latest visit will focus on areas where the relationship between the Aravalli landscape, forest ecosystems, wildlife, mining activities and local livelihoods is particularly significant.
The Rajasthan government has mobilised the Forest Department and local field officials ahead of the committee’s visit.
A senior Forest Department official will serve as the field coordinator, while Deputy Conservators of Forests (DCFs) and other field personnel from Dungarpur and Banswara will accompany the panel during its inspections.
The arrangements are intended to facilitate site visits, provide relevant field information and enable direct interaction between the committee and local stakeholders.
The committee had earlier undertaken a five-day tour of Rajasthan, during which it conducted field inspections and consulted stakeholders at several locations. However, concerns were raised that participation had been inadequate, particularly among rural residents and tribal communities.
This prompted calls for another ground-level assessment in southern Rajasthan, with greater emphasis on hearing directly from the people most affected by decisions concerning the Aravalli region.
In its order dated September 7, the Supreme Court clarified that the committee must provide sufficient opportunities for all relevant stakeholders, including tribal communities in Rajasthan and Gujarat, to express their views.
The panel is expected to incorporate these perspectives into its final assessment, which must be submitted to the Court by November 30.
During the upcoming inspections, the committee will examine several aspects of the region’s environmental and economic landscape, including mining and quarrying activities, including stone-crushing operations, forest cover, water sources and surrounding ecological conditions, existing land-use patterns and their environmental implications, the impact of mining and land-use practices on local residents and tribal livelihoods.
The committee will also seek feedback from environmentalists, subject experts, mining leaseholders, villagers, farmers, labourers and tribal communities. Evening consultations are planned in both districts, with approximately three hours allocated for discussions with local residents and other stakeholders on each day.
According to the proposed schedule, the committee will complete its Gujarat tour by October 10 before entering southern Rajasthan on October 11.
On October 11, there will be field inspections in the Paldeval-Sarkan area of Dungarpur district, followed by consultations with stakeholders.
On October 12, inspection of the Kevadiya-Kothara area in Banswara district will be made followed by discussions with local communities and other stakeholders.
October 13 will mark the final day of the scheduled Rajasthan visit. The inspections are expected to provide the committee with a clearer understanding of local environmental conditions, mining-related concerns and the socio-economic realities of communities living in the region.
The findings will form part of the broader assessment of the Aravalli hills’ definition, demarcation and conservation. The committee’s report, due by November 30 this year, will be submitted to the Supreme Court for further consideration.
(IANS)
