Order of the Supreme Court regarding mining activities within the eco-sensitive zone (ESZ) of Nandhaur Wildlife Sanctuary, Uttarakhand, 27/02/2024
Order of the Supreme Court of India in the matter of State of Uttarakhand & Others Vs Nandan Singh Bora & Others dated 27/02/2024.
The matter was related to mining and stone crushers operating within the eco-sensitive zone (ESZ) of Nandhaur Wildlife Sanctuary.
The SC pointed out vide order dated April 26, 2023, the court had held that ESZ cannot be the same for all the protected forests and that it will vary from case to case and has to be particular protected forest specific. The SC had also clarified that "irrespective of an area to be notified as ESZ, the mining activities will be prohibited within the radius of one kilometer from the boundaries of the protected forest".
The SC, February 27 directed that the mining activities should be prohibited in the areas notified as ESZ areas and, in any case, within a radius of one kilometer from the protected forest. Thus, "wherever the ESZ areas provides for distance of more than one kilometer, the restriction of mining shall also apply to such a larger area", the order said.