Centre faces HC ire over delayed ESZ notification for blackbuck sanctuary

Jaipur: The Jodhpur Bench of Rajasthan High Court issued a stern warning to the Centre regarding the long-delayed notification of Tal Chhapar Blackbuck Sanctuary as an Eco-Sensitive Zone (ESZ). The court asked the Centre to submit an affidavit with regard to the ESZ declaration, failing which the secretary of the ministry of environment, forest, and climate change (MoEF&CC) would be required to appear in court in person.
A division bench headed by the Chief Justice, Justice MM Shrivastava, issued the order on Monday.The high court took suo motu cognisance of the conservation challenges faced by Tal Chhapar, Rajasthan’s smallest wildlife sanctuary, covering only 7.2 sq km. Despite its small size, the sanctuary hosts nearly 4,000 blackbucks, far exceeding its carrying capacity of between 800 and 1,000.
In response to the court’s directives dated October 20, 2023, the Rajasthan govt transferred 500 hectares of revenue land near Jaswantgarh to the forest department. This area is intended to be developed into a conservation reserve or sanctuary, where excess blackbucks from Tal Chhapar would be relocated.
In the interim, 100 blackbucks are to be shifted to the grasslands at Jhunjhunu Beed and Leelki Beed in Churu, while efforts to develop the Jaswantgarh grasslands continue. During the hearing on Sept 23, the court expressed dissatisfaction with the delay in the ESZ notification process, noting that the Centre has not complied with previous orders. The court instructed the deputy solicitor general to file a specific affidavit within two weeks. Should this not occur, the secretary of MoEF&CC would be summoned to appear in court, Justice Shrivastava warned.
“To date, none of the directions suggested by the high court have been complied with. Progress is taking place at a snail’s pace,” Rituraj Singh Rathore, advocate acting as amicus curiae in the matter, told the court.
The court also directed the transfer of land near the sanctuary, currently under the jurisdiction of the industries department, to the forest department. This land, once used for salt mining, has been deemed unviable for further industrial use.
The court gave further directions to the govt to consider suggestions of an expert committee appointed by the court on declaring a nearby area as wetland.