Supreme Court Refuses Nod to Haryana’s Aravalli Zoo Safari Project

In a significant environmental development, the Supreme Court has refused to grant permission to the Haryana Government’s proposed Zoo Safari Project in the Aravalli region. The Bench made it clear that the Aravalli range cannot be disturbed until its geographical and ecological definition is finalised by experts.

The court observed that it is not for judges to determine what constitutes the Aravalli range. Instead, an expert committee must first define the protected boundaries. Until that exercise is completed, no activity — including the proposed safari project — will be allowed in the region.

The Haryana Government had informed the court that it had reduced the project area from 10,000 acres to 3,300 acres and intended to submit the revised Detailed Project Report to the Central Empowered Committee. However, the Bench reiterated that no clearance would be considered before expert findings are submitted.

The proposed project was planned across Gurugram and Nuh districts, with dedicated zones for big cats, birds, reptiles and butterflies. Environmental groups and former Indian Forest Service officers had challenged the project, arguing that the already fragile Aravalli ecosystem would suffer irreversible damage.

The Supreme Court had earlier stayed the project in October last year and also restricted mining activities in the Aravalli region pending expert clarification. The ruling reinforces the court’s position that ecological protection must take precedence over infrastructure or tourism-driven development in environmentally sensitive zones.