In Brief
The Supreme Court resolved a dispute over stone quarries operating near the Similipal-Hadgarh-Kuldiha elephant corridor in Odisha. The court upheld restrictions on mining in the sensitive wildlife area but adopted a conditional approach. Rather than categorically stopping all operations, the court directed the State to first implement the Comprehensive Wildlife Management Plan recommended by the National Board for Wildlife and to complete the legal declaration of the corridor as a conservation reserve under Section 36A of the Wildlife Protection Act. Only after these conditions are met may the 97 quarries resume mining operations. This balanced environmental protection with existing lease rights, requiring proper implementation of wildlife management measures before industrial activity.
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