SC Directs Jharkhand to Notify Entire Saranda Forest as Wildlife Sanctuary

New Delhi — The Supreme Court on Thursday ordered the Jharkhand government to declare the entire 31,468.25-hectare Saranda forest as a wildlife sanctuary, pulling up the state for its inconsistent stance and failure to comply with previous court directives.

Delivering a stern verdict, a Bench headed by Chief Justice B.R. Gavai said that the state “cannot shirk its constitutional duty” after repeatedly changing its position over the past year.

The court noted that Jharkhand had earlier admitted that the full area—originally declared the Saranda Game Sanctuary in 1968—was free of mining activity and required environmental protection. However, the state later proposed to reduce the protected zone to 24,941.64 hectares, a move the court described as unjustified and arbitrary.

“The State’s sudden change of position has no basis. The area of 31,468.25 hectares must be declared as Saranda Wildlife Sanctuary,” the Bench ruled.

The judgment highlighted that official records and affidavits submitted by the state clearly indicated that no mining leases or forest land diversions existed in the 126 compartments that make up the sanctuary area.

“There is no legal or environmental obstacle to notifying the full extent of land,” the court observed, describing the government’s delay as “totally unfair.”

The Supreme Court further noted that it had to summon the Chief Secretary after finding the state in contempt of its prior orders.

Citing the Wildlife Institute of India’s (WII) report, the Bench described the Saranda forest as “an area of immense ecological, biodiversity, and geomorphological importance.”

It also referred to the M.B. Shah Commission report, which warned that unchecked mining had severely affected the fragile ecology of Saranda, part of the Singhbhum Elephant Reserve, underscoring the urgency of its protection.

Invoking Articles 48A and 51A(g) of the Constitution, the court reaffirmed that environmental preservation is a state responsibility, saying: “The State cannot abdicate its obligation to notify the Saranda Wildlife Sanctuary in its entirety.”

The Bench clarified that existing local or tribal rights would remain protected under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, stating that the Collector and Chief Wild Life Warden could permit their continuation within the sanctuary.

The Saranda forest, located in West Singhbhum district, is India’s largest sal forest, rich in flora and fauna and home to several tribal groups. The GSI has identified some parts for mineral exploration, but the Supreme Court’s order ensures that conservation will take precedence over mining interests.

With inputs from IANS