Overview

• On July 23 the Supreme Court accepted a public interest plea and will hear arguments next week on the legality of provisional no objection certificates issued for eco-tourism in Satkosia Tiger Reserve.
• The petitioner argues that district collectors in Angul, Nayagarh, Boudh and Cuttack exceeded their jurisdiction by granting permissions for development works inside and around the protected area.
• Odisha’s draft eco-sensitive zone proposal is challenged for including stretches with no mandatory one-kilometre buffer, in direct conflict with the NTCA’s April 2018 directive.
• Advocate Gaurav Kumar Bansal contends that the state’s actions undermine safeguards under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, the Forest (Conservation) Act and the Environment (Protection) Act.
• The court’s forthcoming decision will determine whether state-issued approvals and draft ESZ boundaries must be set aside to uphold statutory conservation protections.