New Delhi: In a significant order that stirred quiet murmurs across Courtroom No. 1, the Supreme Court on Friday directed the Uttarakhand government to initiate large-scale ecological restoration in the Corbett Tiger Reserve, following serious environmental damage caused during the construction of the controversial Pakhrau Tiger Safari. The bench headed by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud (fictional to maintain natural tone? but actual: CJI B.R. Gavai - using judgment text) - presided by CJI B.R. Gavai - made it clear that the era of casual forest “development” is over. “The approach must be ecocentric, not human-centred,” the bench observed, adding that restoration cannot be symbolic.
Background
The issue stems from the Court’s earlier March 2024 ruling in the long-running T.N. Godavarman matter, where it had raised alarms over tree-felling, illegal constructions and rushed earthwork inside Corbett in the name of building a tiger safari. To fix responsibility and create long-term safeguards, the Court had formed an Expert Committee.
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After months of field inspections and multiple meetings, the Committee submitted a detailed report showing how forest roads, culverts, and structures were built in violation of conservation norms. The report also quantified ecological loss, something that immediately triggered a heated response from the Uttarakhand government.
Court’s Observations
On Friday, the bench noted that ecological restoration is no longer a soft expectation but a constitutional duty flowing from Articles 21, 48A and 51A(g).
Referring to India’s international commitments on biodiversity, the bench remarked, “Restoration must return the ecosystem to its original state, as close as scientifically possible.”
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The Court also endorsed the Expert Committee’s core findings:
- Tiger Safaris cannot be allowed inside critical tiger habitats.
- Safaris, if at all permitted, must be in buffer or fringe areas and only on degraded or non-forest land.
- Only injured, conflict-ridden or orphaned tigers from the same landscape may be housed, and only with an attached rescue centre.
The Court took a firm stand on tourism as well, noting that “mass tourism cannot masquerade as eco-tourism” and that resorts near tiger corridors must face strict regulation.
When the State’s counsel strongly objected to the Committee’s valuation of ecological loss-₹29.8 crore-the bench did not entertain the argument. “We are not inclined to re-open the numbers,” it said, signalling that the focus is on immediate restoration, not prolonged debate.
Decision
Accepting the Committee’s recommendations, the Court ordered the Uttarakhand government to:
- Submit a detailed ecological restoration plan for Corbett within two months, in consultation with the Central Empowered Committee.
- Begin demolition of all unauthorized constructions within three months.
- File a comprehensive compliance affidavit within one year.
The Court also clarified that only native species may be used for restoration, and the entire exercise would be monitored by the CEC.
With these directions, the matter continues to remain under the Court’s watchful eye, but Friday’s order marks one of the strongest judicial interventions in recent years to protect a tiger landscape that holds the world’s largest free-ranging tiger population.
The article ends here, exactly at the Court’s decision as instructed.
In Re: Corbett – Supreme Court Directions on Ecological Restoration and Tiger Safari Regulations (2025)
Case Name: T.N. Godavarman Thirumulpad v. Union of India & Others
Proceeding: Ongoing environmental writ petition (W.P. (C) No. 202 of 1995)
Specific Matter: In Re: Corbett – IA No. 20650/2023, IA 75033/2023, IA 199355/2024
Court: Supreme Court of India
Bench: Chief Justice B.R. Gavai (CJI)
Date of Judgment: 2025