10-km mining buffer applies to all wetland reserves: SC

What happened

The Supreme Court clarified that a mining restriction within a 10-km radius of the Asan wetland conservation reserve in Uttarakhand should also apply to other wetland conservation reserves across India. The Supreme Court’s key reasoning was parity: similar ecological situations connected to wetland conservation should not be treated as an Uttarakhand-only exception.

A Supreme Court bench led by the Chief Justice made the oral clarification, with Justice Joymalya Bagchi making the observations during the proceedings. The Supreme Court explained that wetlands need consistent protection and that wetlands should receive that protection across state boundaries.

Background and earlier position

Himachal Pradesh approached the Supreme Court seeking an exemption from restrictions linked to mining near wetland conservation reserves. Himachal Pradesh’s request raised the question of whether the distance-based mining restriction used in the Asan context should extend to wetland conservation reserves in other states.

In the Asan wetland context, Supreme Court directions treated the area within 10 km of the Asan wetland conservation reserve as a zone where mining activity should not operate, reflecting the Supreme Court’s view that wetlands are ecologically sensitive ecosystems.