Tag: Central Empowered Committee

Conservation or Cruelty? Supreme Court Steps In to Save Delhi’s Deer From Faulty Relocation Plan
12Feb By The Legal ChamberNo Comments
Supreme Court

Conservation or Cruelty? Supreme Court Steps In to Save Delhi’s Deer From Faulty Relocation Plan

The Supreme Court found prima facie violations of the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972, CZA norms, and IUCN translocation guidelines. It directed the Central Empowered Committee to conduct an independent scientific assessment of carrying capacity, post-release survival, and regulatory compliance. The Court prohibited further translocation pending expert evaluation, emphasizing constitutional duties under Articles 48A, 51A(g), and 21. Facts Of The Case: The A.N. Jha Deer Park, established in 1968 by the Delhi Development Authority in Hauz Khas, New Delhi, operated as a captive zoo facility under a license issued by the Central Zoo Authority under the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972. Despite repeated extensions and warnings, evaluation reports from 2014 to 2022 revealed persistent non-com...
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Supreme Court Approves New Definition of Aravali Range, Bans New Mining Pending Study
7Feb By The Legal ChamberNo Comments
Supreme Court

Supreme Court Approves New Definition of Aravali Range, Bans New Mining Pending Study

The Supreme Court, while accepting a committee's operational definition of the Aravali Hills and Ranges for mining regulation, directed the preparation of a Management Plan for Sustainable Mining. This plan must identify conservation zones and permissible mining areas based on ecological carrying capacity. The Court ordered that no new mining leases be granted until this scientific study is finalized, balancing environmental protection with regulated mining activities. Facts Of The Case: The case originated from issues raised in the long-standing writ petition, T.N. Godavarman Thirumulpad v. Union of India, concerning the conservation of forests. A specific question arose before the Supreme Court in January 2024 regarding whether certain mining activities in Rajasthan fell within the leg...
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Supreme Court Directs Statutory Protection for Delhi Ridge to Curb Encroachments
31Jan By The Legal ChamberNo Comments
Supreme Court

Supreme Court Directs Statutory Protection for Delhi Ridge to Curb Encroachments

This Supreme Court judgment directs statutory reconstitution of the Delhi Ridge Management Board under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, to function as a single-window authority. It mandates the Board to ensure the protection, removal of encroachments, and ecological restoration of both the notified Ridge and the Morphological Ridge, with oversight by the Central Empowered Committee and the Supreme Court. Facts Of The Case: The case concerns the long-standing litigation over the protection and management of the Delhi Ridge, a vital ecological area within the National Capital Territory. The primary legal proceedings originate from Writ Petition (C) No. 202 of 1995 (T.N. Godavarman Thirumulpad v. Union of India) and connected matters. The Supreme Court was tasked with adjudicat...
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Supreme Court Modifies Order: Pre-1996 Encroachments on Forest Land Spared from Eviction
26Sep By The Legal ChamberNo Comments
Supreme Court

Supreme Court Modifies Order: Pre-1996 Encroachments on Forest Land Spared from Eviction

The Supreme Court modified its earlier order concerning forest land regularization. It declined to exempt small fragmented land parcels from being declared as protected forest but clarified the state could utilize them for purposes under Section 3(2) of the Forest Rights Act, 2006, following due procedure. The Court also allowed a one-time exemption for pre-December 1996 encroachments on specified categories of land, as recommended by the Central Empowered Committee. Facts Of The Case: The case originates from the landmark Godavarman Thirumulpad vs. Union of India case (W.P.(C) No.202 of 1995), which deals extensively with forest conservation across India. Within this ongoing litigation, an Interim Application (I.A. No.12465/2019) was filed concerning the classification and treatme...
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“Supreme Court Exposes Builder-Politician Nexus in Pune Pune Forest Land Scam”
21May By The Legal ChamberNo Comments
Supreme Court

“Supreme Court Exposes Builder-Politician Nexus in Pune Pune Forest Land Scam”

The Supreme Court ruled that the allotment of 11.89 hectares of reserved forest land in Pune for non-forest purposes violated Section 2 of the Forest Conservation Act, 1980 and the public trust doctrine. It quashed the illegal allotment to private builders, ordered restoration of the land to the Forest Department, and mandated a nationwide audit of similarly diverted forest lands. The judgment reaffirmed the state's fiduciary duty to protect forest resources and prohibited their conversion for commercial use without Central approval. Violations were held irreparable even under the doctrine of desuetude. Facts Of The Case: The case involved 11.89 hectares of reserved forest land in Pune's Kondhwa Budruk village, originally notified under the Indian Forest Act, 1878. In 1968, the land wa...
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