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New Delhi, Oct 8 (IANS) In a major relief to the Jharkhand government, the Supreme Court on Wednesday allowed the notification of the 31,468-hectare ecologically rich Saranda forest area in the state as a wildlife sanctuary.
Chief Justice of India (CJI) BR Gavai and Justice K. A bench including Vinod Chandran clarified that SAL (Steel Authority of India Limited) and other legitimate mining operations would be exempted from the effect of the sanctuary notification.
Generally, mining activities are prohibited not only within the sanctuary but also up to 1 kilometer from its boundaries.
Asking the state government to file a compliance affidavit within a week, the bench led by CJI Gavai exempted the Jharkhand Chief Secretary from personal appearance.
In an earlier order, the Supreme Court had summoned the Chief Secretary of Jharkhand, warning the top state government official of possible contempt proceedings for non-compliance on its previous direction regarding the sanctuary notification.
“We are of the considered view that the State Government of Jharkhand is in clear contempt of the order passed by this Court on 29.04.2025. We, therefore, direct the Chief Secretary of the State of Jharkhand to appear before this Court by 10.30 a.m.
The CJI Gavai-led bench came down heavily on the Jharkhand government for its shifting stance and delay in implementing the directions issued by the National Green Tribunal (NGT) in July 2022, which had asked it to declare the Saradha forest area as a sanctuary.
“It is thus clear to us that the conduct of the State, to say the least, has been completely unreasonable,” the top court said, referring to the delay despite contradictory affidavits and repeated assurances from the state government.
The Saranda/Sasangada forest is one of the most ancient sal forests of India, home to rich biodiversity and tribal communities. The Geological Survey of India (GSI) has identified some prospecting areas for future mining in the Saranda Forest.
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