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Jharkhand govt not to implement SC Saranda Sanctuary order ‘as-it-is’; to file review petition
The SC division bench of former Chief Justice of India (CJI) BR Gavai and Justice K Vinod Chandran had directed the Jharkhand government on November 13, 2025 to notify 314.6825 sq km of the Saranda Reserve Forest (SRF) as the SWS, excluding six compartments.
Jharkhand government will not implement the Supreme Court’s (SC) order on November 13, 2025 for the formation of the Saranda Wildlife Sanctuary (SWS) over 314.68 sq km area as-it-is but will file a review petition in the SC, seeking clarification on a few points of the said order, the government told the Jharkhand Assembly on Tuesday.
“Replying to my starred question, the state environment, forest and climate change department told the house today that the SC by its order on November 13, 2025, has directed the state government to form SWS over 314.6825 sq km area in the Saranda Forest Division, excluding the six compartments, within three months. The department also admitted that he deadline for implementing this SC order has expired on February 12, 2026 but the state government has not issued notification declaring the Saranda Forest Division as Saranda Wildlife Sanctuary (SWS) as yet,” Jamshedpur (West) MLA Roy told HT on Tuesday.
Roy further informed that the reply came in response to his starred question seeking to know if the state government wished to declare the said areas as SWS or not?
“The state government replied to my this question in its written statement that the government has filed a review petition in the SC in the matter instead of implementing the SC order as-it-is. The government, however, didn’t answer as to the questions seeking to know on which date this review petition was filed or if the SC has accepted and admitted this review petition or not,” said Roy.
“A review petition has been filed in the SC seeking clarification on a few points of the SC order passed on November 13, 2025,” the state environment, forest and climate change department has stated in its written reply, copy of which is with HT, accepting that the deadline for implementing the SC order has expired on February 12.
The SC division bench of former Chief Justice of India (CJI) BR Gavai and Justice K Vinod Chandran had directed the Jharkhand government on November 13, 2025 to notify 314.6825 sq km of the Saranda Reserve Forest (SRF) as the SWS, excluding six compartments.
The six compartments account for about 22 sq km, which means 292 sq km will effectively be under the SWS. These six compartments were included in the mining zone in 2016 when the Minimum Plan for Sustainable Mining (MPSM) was notified. The 314.68 sq km area of the Saranda Reserve Forest was notified as ‘Saranda Game Sanctuary’ in 1968.
