SC orders closure of all mining activities around Sariska Tiger reserve
SC ruled that No mining activity will be permissible within one-kilometre radius of a critical tiger habitat (CTH). Order will end activities of nearly 110 mines operating around the reserve.
The Rajasthan government told the court that the prohibition on mining, as ordered in April last year, was applicable to the eco-sensitive zone (of 1 km) from national parks and wildlife sanctuaries and it did not apply to tiger reserves.
Section 38XA of Wildlife Protection Act will show that tiger reserve stands on a higher pedestal than wildlife sanctuaries and national parks, bench remarked.
Court ruled that order of April 26, 2023 that prohibited mining activities within 1 km of protected area applicable not just to sanctuaries and national parks, but also to critical tiger habitat (CTH) as well.
About Sariska Tiger Reserve:
Sariska Tiger Reserve is a tiger reserve in Alwar district, Rajasthan, India. It stretches over an area of 881 km2 (340 sq mi) comprising scrub-thorn arid forests, dry deciduous forests, grasslands, and rocky hills. This area was a hunting preserve of the Alwar state and was declared a wildlife sanctuary in 1958. It was given the status of a tiger reserve making it a part of India's Project Tiger in 1978. The wildlife sanctuary was declared a national park in 1982, with a total area of about 273.8 km2 (105.7 sq mi). It is the first reserve in the world with successfully relocated tigers. It is an important biodiversity area in the Northern Aravalli leopard and wildlife corridor.
The park is a part of the Aravalli Range and the Khathiar-Gir dry deciduous forests ecoregion. It is rich in mineral resources, such as copper. In spite of the Supreme Court's 1991 ban on mining in the area, marble mining continues to threaten the environment.
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