New Delhi: In a major relief to the Jharkhand government, the Supreme Court on Wednesday permitted the notification of 31,468 hectares of the ecologically rich Saranda forest area in the state as a wildlife sanctuary.

A bench comprising Chief Justice of India (CJI) B.R. Gavai and Justice K. Vinod Chandran clarified that SAIL (Steel Authority of India Limited) and other valid mining operations will be exempted from the impact of the sanctuary notification.

Ordinarily, mining activities are restricted not only within the sanctuary but also up to 1 kilometre beyond its boundaries.

Asking the state government to file a compliance affidavit within a week, the CJI Gavai-led Bench exempted the Jharkhand Chief Secretary from personal appearance.

In an earlier order, the Supreme Court had summo

See Full Page