Jaipur: In an important ruling, the Supreme Court has mandated that the proposal to redraw the boundaries of the Sariska Tiger Reserve (STR) undergo public consultation before any final decisions are made. The directive was issued Monday, with the court stating that objections will be solicited regarding both the critical tiger habitat and the sanctuary.The apex court’s order came in response to concerns raised by petitioners regarding the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change’s (MoEFCC) handling of the boundary alterations, which were detailed in an affidavit submitted on Aug 11. Petitioners argued that the approvals for the changes bypassed necessary statutory procedures outlined in the Wildlife (Protection) Act and the Forest Rights Act.Neelam Ahluwalia, a founder member of People for Aravallis and lead petitioner in the case, welcomed the court’s decision, saying, “In our Sept 6 submission, we highlighted the haste in granting approvals. The Supreme Court earlier directed in Dec 2024 that a draft notification must first be issued and public objections considered. We are pleased that the apex court has now sent the proposal back to the drawing board.”Retired IAS officer and co-petitioner Aditi Mehta echoed these sentiments, noting that the proposal had moved forward too quickly, neglecting compliance with vital environmental laws. “On an issue as critical as tiger conservation, due diligence was completely ignored,” Mehta said.Grassroots activist Kailash Meena expressed further concerns, saying, “The MoEFCC cannot speak on behalf of the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) or the National Board for Wildlife (NBWL), which are independent statutory authorities. Its affidavit attempts to cover up legal infirmities that were never addressed in the official minutes.”Additionally, there were apprehensions about the potential downgrading of core areas confirmed to have tiger presence into buffer zones. Sumer Singh Bhati of Oran Bachao Abhiyan warned, “Reclassifying such areas from core to buffer is a violation of the precautionary principle and the Wildlife Protection Act.”The Supreme Court has scheduled the matter for further hearing in Dec 2025, emphasising that any revised proposal must be presented to the NBWL and, if necessary, brought back to the court for review. The decision marks a critical step in ensuring that environmental regulations are upheld in the management of India’s tiger reserves.
