The Supreme Court (SC) on Wednesday lifted the complete ban on development within eco-sensitive zones (ESZs) of a minimum of one km around protected forests, national parks, and wildlife sanctuaries.
The court had imposed absolute restrictions on development within eco-sensitive zones in June last year. However, that order has been modified now. Today's verdict was passed on a PIL where the court environment bench had been monitoring forest clearances and protection of forest lands.
Earlier this month, during the hearing of the case, the apex court had observed that there cannot be a complete ban on development within the eco-sensitive zones around wildlife sanctuaries and national parks.
The court said it was inclined to modify the order. "If this judgment is to be implemented, the principal chief conservator of forests (PCCF) in every state will be left with no other work but to entertain requests from individual villagers for the erection of permanent structures. They clearly do not have this wherewithal," the court had said.
Modifying its June 2022 order, the top court said the activities
within ESZs shall be guided by the 2011 guidelines by the Ministry of
Environment, Forest and Climate Change of India, and the 2022 office
memorandum of an expert committee on ESZ. It said the 2022 ban will not
be applicable to instances where appropriate notifications have been
issued by the MoEFCC. The SC, however, said that mining within national
parks and one km from boundaries will not be permissible.
In June 2022, the court had ordered a complete ban on development work within one km of protected forests, national parks, and wildlife sanctuaries. The Centre filed a review petition saying millions live in ESZs and the court's directions will have ramifications on the lives of local communities living around national parks and sanctuaries, and ecological development works.
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