A Bench led by Chief Justice BR Gavai and Justice K Vinod Chandran issued the ruling while hearing pleas related to the Saranda Wildlife Sanctuary (SWL) and the Sasangdaburu Conservation Reserve (SCR) in Jharkhand. The Court observed that mining near protected areas poses serious threats to wildlife and ecological balance.

The SC bans mining near wildlife sanctuaries to ensure long-term environmental protection. It directed the Jharkhand government to officially notify the Saranda region as a wildlife sanctuary and protect the rights of tribals and forest dwellers under the Forest Rights Act. The State was also instructed to widely publicize this protection measure.

Earlier, the Bench had asked Jharkhand to declare Saranda, an ecologically rich forest, as a reserve forest. The government’s affidavit revealed plans to expand the sanctuary area to 57,519.41 hectares—significantly larger than the original proposal.

This historic decision reinforces the Supreme Court’s commitment to sustainable development and wildlife conservation.

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