India’s first night safari: Supreme Court clears massive ₹1,500 crore wildlife project in Lucknow
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "India’s first night safari: Supreme Court clears massive ₹1,500 crore wildlife project in Lucknow")
India's first night safari gets green signal as SC rejects forest disturbance concerns Photograph: (Pexels)
The Supreme Court has approved India's first night safari at Lucknow's Kukrail Reserve Forest, clearing the long-delayed ₹1,500 crore project while imposing strict environmental safeguards, including periodic inspections and a 1:10 compensatory tree plantation rule. Scroll down to know more.
The Supreme Court of India on Wednesday (Jul 15) cleared the way for India's first night safari to come up at the Kukrail Reserve Forest in Lucknow. The court gave the Uttar Pradesh government the go-ahead for the long delayed project after imposing a series of environmental safeguards.
A three judge bench headed by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant granted approval after taking note of the recommendations of the Central Empowered Committee (CEC), the Central Zoo Authority (CZA) and the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC), all of which had backed the project subject to conditions. "The state has agreed to abide by all conditions recommended by the CEC. In view of the fact that the CZA and MoEFCC have granted approval for establishment of night safari, we allow the present application," the bench said.
Court rejects concerns over forest disturbance
During the hearing, objections were raised over the impact the safari could have on the Kukrail Reserve Forest. The bench, however, said development projects should not be halted if environmental safeguards are in place.
"Should this country remain in a standstill? Zoos are old now. Experts are there to look at all this," the Chief Justice observed, adding that all necessary precautions could be taken with the help of domain experts.
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The court directed the Uttar Pradesh government to strictly comply with every condition laid down by the CEC, the CZA and the environment ministry. It also asked the CEC's Member Secretary to conduct periodic inspections and submit compliance reports.
"Any breach of conditions will be viewed seriously," the bench cautioned.
What is the Kukrail Night Safari project?
The project, proposed inside the 5,000 hectare Kukrail Reserve Forest on the outskirts of Lucknow, is being billed as India's first urban night safari. It is estimated to cost around Rs 1,500 crore and will be developed in two phases.
The original proposal included attractions such as a tram ride, after dark forest experiences, adventure activities and an augmented reality theatre. However, several of these features have since been dropped after environmental concerns were raised during the approval process.
Strict green conditions imposed
The Central Empowered Committee has imposed stringent safeguards to minimise the ecological impact of the project.
Only essential tree felling required for redesign, realignment and engineering works will be permitted. The committee has also mandated a 1:10 compensatory plantation ratio, meaning ten new trees must be planted for every tree removed.
The Uttar Pradesh government will also have to secure all remaining statutory approvals before construction begins, in line with a Supreme Court order issued in February 2024 requiring judicial clearance for any new zoo or safari project in the country.
