NEW DELHI: Amidst the severe apprehension over the redefinition of Aravalli hills, the Supreme Court has on Saturday took suo motu cognisance of the matter and decided to hear it on December 29, Monday.

The matter is to be heard by a three-judge bench of the apex court, headed by the CJI Surya Kant and Justices J K Maheshwari and Augustine George Masih on December 29, Monday.

The matter was listed as 'Definition of Aravalli Hills and Mountain Ranges and Related Issues.'

The apex court took the matter on suo motu basis, after widespread protests by political parties, environmentalists and civil society members over the revised definition of the Aravalli hills. They worried that the change may lead to indiscriminate illegal mining and impact groundwater level among others.

Socio-environmental activist and lawyer Hitendra Gandhi wrote a letter to CJI Kant, seeking review of 100 Metre test rule pertaining to Aravalli issue. Gandhi also wrote a letter to the President of India in this regard.

"Low ridges, water recharge areas have to be protected. 100 Metre rule risks excluding large ecologically integral parts that may not meet numerical height threshold but remain functionally critical," the letter of Gandhi said.