Supreme Court Declares Saranda Wildlife Sanctuary, Bans Mining Nearby

In a significant ruling, the Supreme Court has ordered the Jharkhand government to notify the Saranda forest region as a wildlife sanctuary, excluding six compartments designated for mining activities. The court observed that the state government cannot shy away from its duty to protect the ecologically-rich Saranda area, which spans 31,468.25 hectares.

The bench, comprising Chief Justice BR Gavai and Justice K Vinod Chandran, directed the state to notify the 126 compartments as a wildlife sanctuary within three months. However, the court excluded six compartments, KP-2, KP-10, KP-11, KP-12, KP-13, and KP-14, to allow for mining operations.

Notably, the court also issued a pan-India directive, stating that mining within national parks, wildlife sanctuaries, and within 1 km of their boundaries shall not be permissible. The judges emphasized that such activities would be hazardous to wildlife, drawing from a previous ruling regarding Goa.

The Jharkhand government had initially sought to exclude a larger area of 57,519.41 hectares, citing the presence of tribal communities and existing infrastructure. However, the court rejected this argument, stating that the provisions of the Wildlife Protection Act and the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers Act adequately protect the rights of the tribals and forest dwellers.