SC Ban Illegal Mining in Ranthambore | 09 Jun 2025

Why in News? 

The Supreme Court has ordered the Rajasthan government to immediately ban mining in the core area of the Ranthambore Tiger Reserve and set up a committee to regulate temple visitor flow within the reserve.

Key Points

• Grave Threats to Wildlife: 
  • The application, filed by the Central Empowered Committee (CEC), flagged multiple issues:  
    • Illegal mining on nearly 150 hectares near Uliyana village using heavy machinery, 
    • Unauthorised construction, High vehicular and human presence around the Trinetra Ganesha Temple inside the reserve. 
• Court’s Observations: 
  • Legal Concerns Over Mining: 
    • The court criticised state authorities for allowing mining in a protected area in violation of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972. 
      • The Tiger Conservation Plan prohibits any mining, private vehicular movement, or construction inside core tiger habitats. 
  • Formation of Three-Member Committee: 
    • Drawing from a similar situation at Sariska Tiger Reserve, the bench formed a three-member committee to address the issues at Ranthambore. 
    • Based on Sariska’s model, the court suggested: 
      • Restricting private vehicles at designated entry points, 
      • Using electric shuttle buses to ferry devotees to the Trinetra Ganesha Temple. 
  • About Ranthambore Tiger Reserve: 
    • Ranthambore was declared a Wildlife Sanctuary in 1955, designated as a Tiger Reserve under Project Tiger in 1973, and notified as a National Park in 1980. 
    • It is located at the intersection of the Aravalli and Vindhya mountain ranges and lies at the confluence of seven river systems, making it ecologically unique and highly biodiverse. 
    • It includes Ranthambore National Park as well as Sawai Mansingh and Kailadevi sanctuaries.  
    • The Ranthambore Fort, after which the forest is named, is said to have a history of over 1000 years. It is strategically located on a 700 feet high hill within the park.  
    • Features:  
      • The reserve consists of highly fragmented forest areas, ravines, river channels and agricultural lands.   
      • It is connected to the Kuno-Palpur landscape of Madhya Pradesh through parts of the Kailadevi Wildlife Sanctuary, the ravine habitats of the Chambal and the forest areas of Sheopur.  
      • The tributaries of the Chambal River provide an easy route for the tigers to move towards Kuno National Park.