Sanctuary Status for Saranda Forests
Context
The Supreme Court (SC) recently directed the Jharkhand government to notify a new wildlife sanctuary in the Saranda forests.
It is a biodiversity hotspot at the junction of Jharkhand and Odisha.
The order follows a plea seeking compliance with a 2022 National Green Tribunal (NGT) directive.
About Saranda:
Saranda (meaning seven hundred hills) is a forest division in Jharkhand's West Singhbhum district.
It is renowned for containing one of the country's most verdant Sal forests.
The Wildlife Institute of India (WII) identifies it as a critical habitat for elephants, sloth bears, and four-horned antelope.
Threats:
The region holds 26% of India's iron ore reserves.
It has suffered severe habitat degradation from illegal iron ore and manganese mining
This was documented by the Justice M B Shah Commission.
SC Ruling:
The court ordered the state to declare an area of 314.68 sq km as a sanctuary.
The state government had raised concerns regarding the rights of Adivasi communities (Ho, Munda) under the Fifth Schedule and the Forest Rights Act (FRA).
The SC clarified that the notification will not affect valid and subsisting operational mining leases.