In a significant move, the Supreme Court of India ordered the shutting down of as many as 68 mines in the vicinity of the Sariska Critical Tiger Habitat (CTH) while reprimanding the Rajasthan government for appropriating the SC’s previous judgement and assuming that the apex court’s “one-kilometre no-go zone” applied only to national parks and sanctuaries.
The Apex court stated, “Our judgment is clear. Tiger reserves stand on a higher pedestal than national parks and sanctuaries. Whatever protection is accorded to national parks and sanctuaries would automatically apply to tiger reserves, which would also require additional protection.”
The SC bench headed by Justice BR Gavai observed that whatever activity was getting carried out at the buffer zone of tiger reserves must be stopped at once and relocated out of the Big Cat’s natural habitat. While expounding on this, the SC bench cited the example of Maharashtra’s Tadoba and Melghat Tiger reserves, where villagers were shifted out of the tiger habitats.
The Bench further observed, “How can there be mining activity within one km of CTH? There cannot be any activity within the one km no-go zone of protected areas. In this case, CTH is the buffer zone created to protect Sariska Tiger Reserve.”
