New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday ordered that each protected forest should have an Eco Sensitive Zone (ESZ) of 1 kilometre.
The apex court also directed that no permanent structure will be allowed within the restricted zone.
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Similarly, no mining within the wildlife sanctuary or national park will be permitted.
If the existing ESZ goes beyond 1 km buffer zone or if any statutory instrument prescribes a higher limit, then such extended boundary shall prevail, Live Law reported.
The top court also directed the Chief Conservator of Forests of all states and UTs to prepare a list of existing structures within the ESZs and submit a report to it within a period of three months.
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“For this purpose, such authorities can take assistance from governmental agencies for satellite imaging or photography using drones,” the bench said.
The direction came on a pending PIL, titled as T N Godavarman versus UOI, about issues including forest preservation.