The Rajasthan High Court has ordered an immediate halt to all construction across the Jawai landscape in Pali district and issued binding directions to protect leopard habitats, including a ban on fresh tourism licences and a stay on mining.
Court Order Details
In an order dated April 28, a division bench of Justice Pushpendra Singh Bhati and Justice Sandeep Shah stated that no construction shall take place anywhere in the region without prior court permission. The only exception is for inhabited rural areas, provided they carry out construction with the requisite approvals.
Restrictions on Tourism and Mining
The court ordered status quo on all commercial tourism establishments and any activity that may affect leopard movement, habitat, hills, or foothills. It added, "The issuance of fresh tourism licences for hotels, resorts, guest houses or similar establishments has also been restrained."
The directions cover the entire Jawai region, including Kothar, Velar, Varaval, Lundara, Doodni, Choti Doodni, Rughnathpura, Mori, Mori Bera, Sena, Jeevda, Beesalpur, Balwana, Jawai Bandh Station and Perwa, along with all caves, hills, foothills and wildlife corridors forming part of the leopard habitat.
Additional advocate general Bharat Vyas, who appeared in the case for the Government of India, told TOI that the court has decreed that no new construction will be permitted and status quo has been sought on ongoing projects. "The land in question, comprising natural leopard habitats and spotting sites, shall not be disturbed. Even in areas where land-use change has already been permitted, no alteration in the status of core leopard habitats shall be allowed," Vyas said. "Status quo, as it exists today, shall be maintained across the entire area, and the same shall be ensured by the respondent authorities," he added.
"All mining activity has been stayed, while any further barbed-wire fencing or land compartmentalisation has been prohibited until further orders," the court order reads.
Standard Operating Procedure and Coordination Committee
The bench also directed that the draft standard operating procedure (SOP) for regulating safari and eco-tourism in the Jawai landscape be brought into immediate effect until a final SOP is placed before and approved by the court.
It ordered the proposed Jawai Safari and Eco-Tourism Coordination Committee to begin functioning immediately. "The conservation imperatives, administrative framework, ecological safeguards and enforcement mechanisms outlined in the SOP shall apply uniformly across all categories of land," the court ordered.
Vehicular movement within the dam area and its overflow zone will also remain stayed, the court said, reiterating that night safari operations will continue to remain closed.
Future Considerations
The state government has been further directed to examine the feasibility of declaring the area a sanctuary under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.
"The matter has been listed for next hearing after six weeks, with directions to the State Government and the Union of India to place on record a compliance affidavit before that," an official said.
