CHANDIGARH: Environmentalists, community leaders and Adivasi representatives from across the 700-km Aravalli range have objected to the online-only public consultation process launched by the Supreme Court-appointed High-Powered Committee (HPC), arguing that it excludes the rural communities most directly affected by decisions on the ecologically sensitive mountain range.
The committee recently invited written representations and suggestions through email and a Google Form on issues related to the Aravalli Hills and Ranges. Activists said the digital-only outreach and the 21-day consultation period would prevent many villagers, particularly those who are not literate or technologically proficient, from participating meaningfully.
The High-Powered Committee, constituted by the Supreme Court on May 25, has been tasked with conducting an independent review of the Centre's report on the definition and delineation of the Aravalli hill range. It has been asked to submit its report by August 31.
"The online submission process announced by the High-Powered Committee is not designed for rural people. A villager in the Aravalli belt cannot navigate a complex email address or Google Form, let alone ensure it reaches the right inbox without a typographical error," said Kusum Rawat, a Bhil Adivasi youth leader from Rajasthan and a member of the pan-India Adivasi Samanvay Manch Bharat.
She urged the committee to publicise the consultation through physical notices in local languages at panchayat bhawans, community halls, government schools and anganwadis across the Aravalli districts in five states. Rawat also called for the use of radio broadcasts and the e-Mitra network to ensure people in remote villages are aware of the consultation and can place their concerns on record.
Environmentalists have also questioned the 21-day window for submitting representations, saying it is too short to gather meaningful feedback from communities spread across the Aravalli belt.
"Twenty-one days is an entirely inadequate window to hear from the diverse communities living deep within the Aravalli belt. Getting these communities to participate in any meaningful way will be a manual, time-intensive process. There are no shortcuts, and decent coverage of voices within this timeline is simply not possible," said Lokesh Bhiwani, founder of the environmental group Stand With Nature.
He urged the committee to seek an extension from the Supreme Court beyond the August 31 deadline for submitting its report so it could undertake field consultations rather than rely primarily on online submissions. Without such an exercise, he said, the committee's report could lack credibility.
Calling for on-ground consultations, Delhi-based environmentalist and Ridge Bachao Andolan convenor Diwan Singh said the committee should visit villages across the Aravalli belt to understand the impact of mining and environmental degradation firsthand.
"Most licensed mining operations across Haryana, Rajasthan and Gujarat are violating environmental norms, causing severe damage to local livelihoods and public health. No written submission can capture the everyday suffering of communities dependent on the Aravallis," Singh said.
Prashant Patni, coordinator of the Shahbad Ghati Sanrakshan Sangharsh Samiti in Rajasthan's Baran district, said the committee should rely on traditional community knowledge while defining the Aravalli landscape.
"The Aravallis were never undefined. Local communities have identified and mapped these hills for generations. The committee should visit these villages and understand the true extent of the range from people who have lived there for centuries," he said.
On Tuesday, the Press Information Bureau (PIB) said the High-Powered Committee had invited representations from stakeholders, including the governments of Delhi, Rajasthan, Haryana and Gujarat, environmentalists, conservationists, non-profit organisations, mining lease holders, project proponents, villagers, farmers, mine workers, local communities and other interested persons whose livelihoods or interests are linked to the Aravalli ecosystem. The committee has invited suggestions through dedicated email and Google Form portals.
(With inputs from PTI)
