SC bans mining within one km of national parks, wildlife sanctuaries

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Thursday ordered a nationwide ban on mining activities within one kilometre of all national parks and wildlife sanctuaries, citing grave threats to ecological balance and wildlife habitats.

A bench headed by Chief Justice of India B R Gavai and Justice K Vinod Chandran delivered the ruling while hearing petitions concerning the notification of areas under the Saranda Wildlife Sanctuary and the Sasangdaburu Conservation Reserve in Jharkhand.

“It has been the consistent view of this court that mining activities within one kilometre of the protected area will be hazardous to the wildlife,” the bench observed. “Though in the case of Goa Foundation, the said directions were issued with respect to the State of Goa, we find that such directions need to be issued on a pan-India basis.”

Accordingly, the court directed that no mining be permitted “within national parks and wildlife sanctuaries and within an area of one kilometre from the boundary” of such protected zones.

The bench further instructed the Jharkhand government to officially notify the Saranda region as a wildlife sanctuary and ensure that the rights of tribals and forest dwellers are protected under the Forest Rights Act. The state has also been asked to publicise these provisions widely to safeguard community interests.

The case pertains to a long-pending proposal to designate the ecologically rich Saranda and Sasangdaburu forest areas in West Singhbhum district as a wildlife sanctuary and a conservation reserve, respectively.

In its affidavit, the Jharkhand government stated that it now plans to notify 57,519.41 hectares as a wildlife sanctuary, expanding upon the earlier proposal of 31,468.25 hectares.

The court’s ruling extends previous protections applied to Goa to the entire country, marking a significant move toward nationwide environmental conservation.