Students of Mohanlal Sukhdiya University in Udaipur have caught the attention of the Jodhpur bench of Rajasthan High Court with their innovative use of technology to assess urban development in the Aravalli hills of Udaipur. The court has directed the government to explain how this technology, specifically Google Earth, can be leveraged to tag and demarcate the hills in the picturesque lake district.
Impressed by the students’ study, the division bench of Justice Yogendra Kumar Purohit and Justice PS Bhati has requested the students to continue providing valuable inputs to the court. The court made these directives while hearing a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by Jheel Sanrakshan Samiti, Udaipur, which highlighted the rampant construction activities in the Aravallis that are in violation of hill by-laws.
The court has also instructed Additional Advocate General Rajesh Panwar to assist in explaining how such technology can be used for tagging and demarcating the hills in Udaipur. The order stated that an expert must be present in court to explain the steps taken by the government to introduce technology to address the violations of laws that are altering the region’s topography.
Furthermore, the court has put a stay on all construction activities, including building resorts or motels, that are in violation of hill by-laws. Any construction activity deviating from these laws will be halted until the next hearing on May 27. This move comes as the court aims to address the issue of encroachments on forest land in Jodhpur and the conflict between natural resources and urban expansion.