New Delhi, July 24: The Supreme Court has directed the Central Empowered Committee (CEC) to draw up a comprehensive plan, in consultation with the Haryana Government, to restore areas of the Aravalli hills in Nuh district severely damaged by illegal mining activities.
A Bench led by Chief Justice BR Gavai, along with Justices K Vinod Chandran and Joymalya Bagchi, also instructed the Haryana Government to fully cooperate with the CEC in formulating and implementing the restoration measures.
“We expect the state to extend due cooperation to the CEC for the preparation and execution of the restoration plan,” the court stated. The matter has been scheduled for further hearing after 12 weeks.
The direction comes in the wake of a sharp rebuke delivered by the court on May 29, when it pulled up the Haryana administration for failing to crack down on mining mafias operating in Nuh and for filing what the Bench had termed an “evasive” affidavit. The state had been accused of shielding corrupt officials and ignoring the destruction of protected forest land.
At the heart of the issue is the illegal construction of a 1.5-kilometre road by mining operators through protected forest in Nuh, allegedly facilitated by government officials to enable the transport of illegally quarried stones to Rajasthan.
The top court was considering a plea flagging the unauthorised road and the broader environmental degradation in the Aravalli belt. According to a detailed report filed by the CEC on April 15, the road was carved using heavy machinery without any statutory clearances, cutting through notified forest and agricultural land and causing widespread ecological damage.
The report accused local officials of breaching the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980, and the Punjab Land Preservation Act, 1900. It warned of serious consequences including habitat loss and ecological destabilisation, while also suggesting links between mining mafias and “local political actors.”
CJI Gavai, during an earlier hearing, had remarked, “From the perusal of the affidavit [filed by the Chief Secretary], it is not reflected as to what actions have been taken against the erring officials and the mining mafia who are dishonestly dismantling the hills.”
Following that hearing, the court had ordered the Chief Secretary to initiate action against all complicit officials and submit a detailed affidavit by July 16.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Haryana Government, informed the court that some remedial measures had already been initiated. The court expressed satisfaction with the preliminary steps but reiterated the need for a structured and enforceable restoration plan for the region.
The case will now be taken up after three months, by which time the restoration blueprint is expected to be ready.
