SC to hear suo motu case on Aravalli hills on Monday
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New Delhi (PTI): Amid a row over the definition of Aravalli hills approved by it, the Supreme Court has taken suo motu cognisance of the issue and is slated to hear the matter on Monday.
As per the cause list, a three-judge bench vacation of Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justices JK Maheshwari and Augustine George Masih is likely to hear the matter.
The case is titled as 'In Re: Definition of Aravalli Hills and Ranges and Ancillary Issues'.
The top court on November 20 had accepted a uniform definition of the Aravalli hills and ranges and banned grant of fresh mining leases inside its areas spanning Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan and Gujarat until experts' reports are out.
The apex court had accepted the recommendations of a committee of MoEF&CC (Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change) on the definition of Aravalli hills and ranges to protect the world's oldest mountain system.
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The committee recommended that "Aravalli Hill" will be defined as any landform in designated Aravalli districts with an elevation of 100 metres or more above its local relief and an "Aravalli Range" will be a collection of two or more such hills within 500 metres of each other.
The committee, while defining Aravalli hills, said, "Any landform located in the Aravalli districts, having an elevation of 100 metres or more from the local relief, shall be termed as Aravalli Hills... The entire landform lying within the area enclosed by such lowest contour, whether actual or extended notionally, together with the Hill, its supporting slopes and associated landforms irrespective of their gradient, shall be deemed to constitute part of the Aravalli Hills."
The panel also defined Aravalli Range and said, "Two or more Aravalli Hills ..., located within the proximity of 500m from each other, measured from the outermost point on the boundary of the lowest contour line on either side forms Aravalli Range. "The area between the two Aravalli hills is determined by first creating buffers with a width equal to the minimum distance between the lowest contour lines of both hills ... The entire area of landforms falling between the lowest contour lines of these Hills as explained, along with associated features such as Hills, Hillocks, supporting slopes, etc., shall also be included as part of Aravalli Range."
The SC delivered a 29-page judgement in the suo motu matter arising out of the long-running environmental litigation in TN Godavarman Thirumulpad case.
"We further accept the recommendations with regard to the prohibition of mining in core/inviolate areas with exception as carved out of the ... committee's report," CJI Gavai, who authored the judgement, said.
The bench also accepted the recommendations for sustainable mining and the steps to be taken for preventing illegal mining in Aravali Hills and Ranges.
It also directed the authorities to identify permissible areas for "mining and ecologically sensitive, conservation-critical and restoration priority areas within the Aravalli landscape where mining shall be strictly prohibited or permitted only under exceptional and scientifically justified circumstances".
"We further direct that till the MPSM (Management Plan for Sustainable Mining) is finalised by the MoEF&CC through ICFRE (Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education), no new mining leases should be granted," it said.
The bench further directed that mining can be permitted if sustainable mining is allowed as per the MPSM which will be finalised by MoEF&CC in consultation with the ICFRE.
"In the meantime, the mining activities in the mines which are already in operation would be continued in strict compliance with the recommendations made by the Committee," it said.
Calling the Aravallis a "green barrier" that prevents the eastward spread of the Thar desert and supports rich biodiversity, the court held that a clear, scientific definition was essential for ensuring environmental conservation, regulating land use, and determining permissible mining activities.
#WATCH | Haryana: Supreme Court took suo motu cognisance of the matter concerning the definition of the Aravalli Range. A three-judge vacation bench headed by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant will hear the matter tomorrow, December 29.
— ANI (@ANI) December 28, 2025
Drone visuals of the Aravalli mountain… pic.twitter.com/waVqe4rqCQ
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Real Madrid fines Valverde and Tchouaméni half a million euros each for altercation
Barcelona (AP): Real Madrid slapped players Federico Valverde and Aurélien Tchouaméni with half-a-million-euro ($588,000) fines on Friday for their altercation during practice.
The massive fines came a day after the midfielders tussled when the team trained. Valverde said in a post on social media on Thursday that no punches were thrown. But Valverde knocked his head on a table and he suffered a small cut that required a brief hospital visit.
On social media, Valverde initially called it a “meaningless fight” with a teammate and said “everything has been blown out of proportion."
His employers, however, considered it a significant enough breach of team discipline to nail both Valverde and Tchouaméni with fines that bite even the bank account of a top soccer player. The half-a-million euro penalties reflect the reputational damage the club was enduring in a chaotic end to a disappointing season.
In a statement, the 15-time European champion said its disciplinary action was concluded after both players expressed to the club “their complete remorse for what happened and apologized to one another.”
Madrid added they also apologized to their teammates, the coaching staff and club supporters, as well as showing their willingness to accept whatever disciplinary action the club deemed “opportune.”
Tchouaméni was back training with Madrid on Friday, two days before they play at Barcelona in a clasico. Madrid has to win otherwise Barcelona will be crowned La Liga champion.
After being notified of the fine, he posted a public apology to the club and its fans on social media.
“What happened this week in training is unacceptable,” Tchouaméni wrote. "I say this while thinking about the example we are expected to set for young people, whether in football or at school.
“Above all, I am sorry for the image we projected of the club.”
Valverde was not at practice due to the head knock.
Both players are set to play in the World Cup next month, with Tchouaméni playing for France and Valverde for Uruguay.
Chaotic end to a poor season
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The run-in between the players, who for seasons have played side by side in Madrid's midfield, came after they argued this week in previous training sessions. But tempers boiled over on Thursday. Spanish media was rife with reports that the players previously disagreed over the club's decision to let coach Xabi Alonso go after just months on the job.
It was not the only altercation involving Madrid players during training this week. Álvaro Carreras confirmed he was in a “minor” incident with a teammate. Spanish media said he and fellow defender Antonio Rüdiger got into a scuffle.
Álvaro Arbeloa, the coach who was promoted from Madrid's reserve team when Alonso was fired in January, will face tough questions on what went wrong inside the changing room when he gives a press conference on Saturday ahead of the clasico at Camp Nou.
Madrid is facing a second consecutive campaign without a major trophy amid rumors in the Spanish media that club president Florentino Pérez is considering bringing back Jose Mourinho to straighten out his underperforming team.
