india

Updated: Apr 16, 2019 09:08 IST

The Supreme Court has banned all mining activities along the Kaziranga National Park and catchment area of rivers originating in Karbi Anglong Hills in Assam.

A bench comprising Justices Arun Mishra and Deepak Gupta issued a notice to the Assam government and sought its reply within three weeks.

“We order that all kinds of mining and related activities along the aforesaid Kaziranga National Park area and in the entire catchment area of rivers/streams and rivulets originating in Karbi Anglong Hill ranges and flowing into the Kaziranga National Park, including Tiger Reserve are restrained. “No new construction shall be permitted on private lands which form part of the nine identified animal corridors,” the bench said in an order uploaded on the top court’s website on Monday.

The court also directed the Assam director general of police, to ensure compliance of the order and prevent any illegal mining in the region.

The order was issued after the court appointed Central Empowered Committee (CEC) submitted a report stating that the mining was continuing in the Karbi Anlong hills despite the Supreme Court ban in 1996 and in violation of the Forest Conservation Act, 1980, resulting in environment degradation and habitat destruction in an important elephant and tiger habitat.