NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Wednesday modified its 2022 order which directed that each protected forest such as national parks and wildlife sanctuaries must have an eco-sensitive zone (ESZ) of one kilometre.
The court was hearing a plea filed by the central government contended that if the directions are not modified a severe hardship would be caused to the millions of people living in ESZ.
Noting that mining activities within an area of one kilometre of the boundary of the protected areas would be hazardous for the wildlife, a bench of Justices BR Gavai, Vikram Nath and Sanjay Karol also banned mining within the national park and wildlife sanctuary and within an area of 1km from the boundary
of such national park and wildlife sanctuary.
The 52-page ruling came in batch of pleas which had sought for modification of top court’s June 3, 2022 ruling wherein the top court had established a 1 km eco-sensitive zone around protected forests (national park or wildlife sanctuary) measured from the demarcated boundary of the protected forest.