Supreme Court upholds NGT order on KWS

New Delhi: The Supreme Court has upheld an order of the National Green Tribunal, dismissing a plea challenging the declaration of one-km eco-sensitive zone around Kaimur Wildlife Sanctuary (KWS) in Mirzapur and Sonbhadra districts of Uttar Pradesh.

A bench comprising justices A K Sikri and Ashok Bhushan said there was no ground to interfere with the tribunal's direction. "We do not find any reason to interfere with the order of the National Green Tribunal. 

Accordingly, the civil appeal is dismissed," the bench said. In October last year, the tribunal junked a plea filed by an NGO on the ground that objections and suggestions were considered by the expert committee for declaration of one-km eco-sensitive zone around the sanctuary. 

"The tribunal cannot lose sight of the fact that limitation of distance cannot be taken to a distance of 10 km or so.