Context:

The Supreme Court of India recently directed the Jharkhand government to notify 126 compartments of the Saranda forests in West Singhbhum district as a Wildlife Sanctuary within three months.

About the Sanctuary:

The Saranda Forest is one of India’s densest Sal forests, spanning the Singhbhum-Kolhan landscape.
It is ecologically rich and home to:

• • Asian elephants
  • Leopards
  • Sambar and barking deer
  • Endemic reptiles and diverse bird species
  • Several perennial streams forming vital watersheds

The region is also populated by tribal communities such as the Ho, Munda, and Oraon groups, whose livelihoods and cultural practices are closely tied to the forest.

Key Directions of the Supreme Court:

• • Notification of Wildlife Sanctuary: Jharkhand must notify 126 compartments from the 1968 Government of Bihar notification as a Wildlife Sanctuary.
  • Exclusion of Six Compartments: Six compartments (KP-2, KP-10, KP-11, KP-12, KP-13, KP-14) may be excluded as they fall under a mining management plan.
  • Mining Restriction: No mining activity shall be permitted within 1 km from the sanctuary boundary.
  • Protection of Tribal Rights: The Court clarified that Forest Rights Act (FRA) safeguards the rights of Scheduled Tribes and traditional forest dwellers even after sanctuary notification.
  • Directive for Public Awareness: The state must publicise widely that declaration of the sanctuary will not adversely affect habitation, schools, roads, or community rights.

Legal Aspects:

• • Wildlife Protection Act, 1972:
    • Under Section 26A, state governments are empowered to declare Wildlife Sanctuaries.
    • Section 24(2)(c) ensures that rights of forest dwellers are recorded and protected.
  • Forest Rights Act, 2006:
    • Recognises community and individual forest rights, including habitation and access to resources.
    • The Court held that FRA rights remain fully intact within a wildlife sanctuary.
  • Constitutional Provisions:
    • Article 48A: State shall protect and improve the environment.
    • Article 51A(g): Duty of citizens to preserve forests and wildlife.

Significance & Implications:

·        Environmental Protection: The sanctuary status will strengthen conservation of the Sal ecosystem, protect wildlife corridors, and prevent habitat fragmentation.

·        Control on Mining Activities: Saranda is rich in iron ore deposits and has faced decades of extraction pressure. The 1-km mining buffer aims to reduce ecological damage and maintain forest integrity.

·        Rights-Based Conservation: The judgment emphasises coexistence: conservation measures must not undermine tribal rights and livelihoods.

About the 1968 Notification:

• • The then-Government of Bihar (before Jharkhand’s creation) notified 31,468.25 hectares as the Saranda Game Sanctuary in 1968.
  • The Court used this as the baseline for restoring and upgrading the area’s protected status.

Conclusion:

The Supreme Court’s directive to declare the Saranda forests as a Wildlife Sanctuary is a major step in India’s environmental conservation landscape. It protects one of the country’s most important Sal forest ecosystems while ensuring that tribal rights under FRA remain fully preserved.