The Supreme Court has issued nationwide directives to govern tiger reserves and regulate safari operations, aiming to stop illegal construction and prioritize ecological restoration.
Corbett Tiger Reserve to undergo urgent ecological restoration
The November 17, 2025 judgment follows a review of an expert committee report that documented severe damage to Corbett Tiger Reserve in Uttarakhand from unauthorized construction and tree felling. The court ordered the state government to submit a restoration plan within two months and begin demolishing all illegal structures within three.
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The committee calculated ecological damage at ₹29.8 crore, including ₹4.30 crore for in-situ restoration. The court did not rule on financial liability, citing an ongoing CBI investigation into officials allegedly responsible. Uttarakhand must carry out the restoration under the supervision of the Central Empowered Committee, with the Field Director providing updates.
The judgment states that ecological damage to Corbett should be restored under CEC supervision. Proportionate costs may later be recovered from errant officers after disciplinary proceedings conclude.
The ruling also sets new rules for tiger safaris. These will no longer be permitted in core or critical habitats. Any safari operations must be established on non-forest land or degraded forest land within buffer zones, provided the area is not part of a tiger corridor. Each safari must include a rescue and rehabilitation center for conflict, injured, or abandoned animals from the same reserve. Sourcing animals from outside is prohibited. Safaris will be managed by the Field Director of the concerned Tiger Reserve, and all financial earnings must be reinvested through the Tiger Conservation Foundations.
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Nationwide framework for tiger reserves and eco-sensitive zones
The court mandated that all state governments notify Eco-Sensitive Zones around every tiger reserve within one year. These zones will extend protections from the 2011 Ministry of Environment notification, including a ban on mining within one kilometer of a tiger habitat, buffer area, or ESZ—whichever is larger.
To reduce human disturbance, the court declared all tiger reserves Silence Zones under noise pollution rules. States must notify these zones within three months. The ruling also bans night tourism in tiger reserves and restricts road use in core and critical habitats to emergency vehicles only between dusk and dawn.
The judgment builds on an earlier March 2024 ruling that first highlighted illegal activities in Corbett and called for uniform national guidelines.
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The case, T.N. Godavarman Thirumulpad v. Union of India & Others, has been ongoing since 1995. The latest ruling reinforces the court’s role in shaping wildlife conservation policy. The bench, led by Chief Justice B.R. Gavai and including Justices Augustine George Masih and A.S. Chandurkar, adopted a restitutive approach, focusing on repairing damage rather than punishment alone.
For now, attention remains on Corbett, where Uttarakhand must begin demolition and restoration work. The broader impact will unfold as states work to comply with the new framework.