SC denies interim relief to Aravalli miners, Real Estate News, ET RealEstate
JAIPUR: The Supreme Court Wednesday declined to grant interim relief to miners seeking permission to continue operations in Rajasthan’s Aravalli region, and warned against speculative and repetitive applications. The operations were halted following the court’s May 9, 2024 order, which made prior approval from court mandatory for any mining activity in the area.
In its May 9 order, the top court had explicitly prohibited mining in the Aravalli hill region without prior permission and clarified that although lease renewal and extension applications can be submitted and considered, the final clearance would be granted by the court. The ruling aimed to protect the fragile ecosystem of the Aravallis and halt further environmental degradation. Among the pleas rejected Wednesday was an application filed by a private mining company that requested directions to the state govt to expeditiously seek permission from the court and allow mining to continue while awaiting formal clearance.
A bench of Justice B R Gavai and Justice K V Viswanathan refused to entertain the plea for interim relief and issued a warning against such speculative and repetitive applications. The bench asked the applicants not to file requests for interim relief or directions that contradict its express orders. They rejected the application seeking temporary permission to carry out mining until the state received permission from the court and also asked the state govt to approach the court for that purpose.
While rejecting the request, the court recorded the submission of Rajasthan’s additional advocate general Shiv Mangal Sharma, who argued that applications for renewal and extension of mining leases were already being processed. He said these applications were being reviewed for statutory clearances in line with the court’s May 9, 2024 judgment. The court has scheduled the next hearing for May 26.
