SC To Hear Plea Against Odisha’s Tiger Reserve plan
The petition seeks to quash provisional no objection certificates issued by the district collectors of Angul, Nayagarh, Boudh and Cuttack, which allegedly permit new construction within and around the reserve: Reports
NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Wednesday agreed to hear a petition challenging eco-tourism construction proposed inside Odisha’s Satkosia Tiger Reserve. A Bench of Chief Justice of India B. R. Gavai and Justices K. Vinod Chandran and Joymalya Bagchi took note of submissions by advocate Gaurav Kumar Bansal and listed the matter for next week.
The petition seeks to quash provisional no objection certificates issued by the district collectors of Angul, Nayagarh, Boudh and Cuttack, which allegedly permit new construction within and around the reserve. The petitioner says the collectors acted without jurisdiction and in violation of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.
Covering parts of Angul, Cuttack, Nayagarh and Boudh districts, Satkosia Tiger Reserve provides critical habitat for tigers, elephants and several endangered species. The plea cites an April 2018 directive from the National Tiger Conservation Authority that requires every state to mark an eco-sensitive zone (ESZ) at least one kilometre wide around all tiger reserves wherever an adequate buffer is missing. The petitioner argues that the “zero kilometre” ESZ proposed in stretches of Satkosia disregards this rule and threatens the reserve’s ecological integrity.
The Odisha government recently submitted a draft ESZ notification for Satkosia to the Union Environment Ministry, but the plea contends that approval in its present form would undermine conservation efforts.