SC bars mining in 10-km radius of wetland in HP without Centre’s nod
The Supreme Court on Tuesday held that no mining activity will be permitted within a 10-kilometre radius of a wetland conservation reserve in Himachal Pradesh without prior permission of the Union government
On Tuesday, the Supreme Court mandated a 10-kilometre no-mining zone around wetland conservation reserves in Himachal Pradesh without the Union government's approval. The court also mandated the Ministry of Environment, Forests, and Climate Change, or the Standing Committee of the National Board of Wildlife, to inform the court within a month about the presence of such reserves in the state.
In February 2024, the court imposed a similar ban around the Asan wetland in Uttarakhand, which is a Ramsar site, an international treaty for biodiversity conservation. This led to a public interest litigation in the Himachal Pradesh high court, requesting the extension of this rule to its conservation reserves and community reserves.
The court, headed by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, clarified that the January 2024 ruling applies to Himachal Pradesh if wetland conservation reserves are identified there. The court's decision is based on the geographical continuity of the Himalayan terrain between Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh. The court emphasized that the concept of conservation reserves, introduced in 2003, links protected areas and is crucial for habitat preservation.
The court's order, while not intended as universal guidelines, directs the implementation of the same rule unless proof is provided that no such reserves exist.
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