The country’s apex court has finally drawn a firm line through years of hesitation, telling Jharkhand in unmistakable terms: notify Saranda as a wildlife sanctuary — and do it within three months.
Saranda, also known as Sasangdaburu, has been the subject of repeated promises and shifting stands from the State. The Court noted—almost with exasperation—that Jharkhand’s stance “kept changing like a river in monsoon,” despite earlier admissions about the area’s protected status and minimal mining activity inside the 126 compartments originally earmarked in a 1968 notification.
What started as a proposal covering roughly 31,468 hectares swelled to 57,000+ hectares, only for the State to dramatically shrink the number again to 24,941 hectares. The bench wasn’t amused.
The judges made it clear: except for six compartments reserved under the Sustainable Mining Plan (KP-2, KP-10, KP-11, KP-12, KP-13, KP-14), the entire original stretch of 126 compartments must be declared a wildlife sanctuary. No more trimming, no more hesitation.
The direction is blunt and time-bound:
Notify the sanctuary within three months.
Forest Dwellers’ Rights: “Not Up For Sacrifice”
Addressing concerns deliberately stoked by the State, the Court clarified that declaring Saranda a sanctuary would not strip forest dwellers or tribals of their rights.
Relying on the Wildlife Protection Act and the Forest Rights Act, the bench highlighted that:
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Existing rights can continue within sanctuaries.
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Forest dwellers’ claims under the FRA remain recognised, vested, and protected.
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The law itself acts as a shield, preventing the erasure of customary uses and community ties to the land.
Simply put, the Court rejected the idea that conservation and community survival must be pitted against each other.
A Sanctuary Restored — At Last
With this judgment, the Court has effectively reset Saranda’s future. A forest once threatened by legal procrastination and mining ambitions is now set to return to the protective fold it was promised decades ago — while the people who have lived under its canopy for generations keep their rights intact.
Jharkhand’s clock starts now.
