The Supreme Court has issued notices to the Centre and the Odisha government over alleged illegal constructions and tourism infrastructure projects inside the Satkosia Tiger Reserve. The move came after a plea filed by advocate and environmental activist Gaurav Kumar Bansal highlighted violations of wildlife protection and environmental laws.
A bench led by Chief Justice BR Gavai and comprising Justices K Vinod Chandran and NV Anjaria sought responses from both governments and the Central Empowered Committee (CEC) on the matter. The petitioner has demanded that the court quash no-objection certificates (NOCs) allegedly issued without proper jurisdiction by district collectors of Angul, Nayagarh, Cuttack, and Boudh.
Petition Flags Violations in Satkosia Tiger Reserve Construction Case
In his plea, Bansal argued that the provisional NOCs issued for proposed constructions inside and around the tiger reserve violated the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, as well as forest and environmental laws. The Satkosia Tiger Reserve construction case raises concerns about unchecked tourism expansion in one of Odisha’s most ecologically sensitive zones.
The plea points to the National Tiger Conservation Authority’s (NTCA) April 2018 directive mandating a minimum 1-kilometre eco-sensitive zone (ESZ) buffer around tiger reserves where no buffer already exists. However, the draft ESZ proposal recently submitted by the Odisha government allegedly includes zero-kilometre boundaries in parts of Satkosia, undermining NTCA’s guidelines.
The petitioner urged the Supreme Court to direct the state to withdraw the draft ESZ proposal, claiming it could “seriously compromise” the ecological integrity of the tiger reserve. He also alleged a pattern of procedural shortcuts and executive overreach by the state to dilute protective environmental safeguards for commercial tourism purposes.
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