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SC allows Kukrail Night Safari and Zoological Park project, subject to strict environmental safeguards and monitoring.
Apex court orders independent survey to determine whether proposed Jilling Estate hotel project can proceed.
SC issues notice on allegations of unlawful appointments to Karnataka’s environmental impact assessment authorities.
The Supreme Court (SC) gave the go ahead to Uttar Pradesh to proceed with the Kukrail Night Safari and Zoological Park Project, subject to strict compliance with the conditions and safeguards laid out by the Central Empowered Committee (CEC), the Central Zoo Authority and the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) and all other conditions imposed by any competent statutory authority.
To ensure compliance, the SC on July 15, 2026 directed CEC to conduct periodic site inspections and verify compliance. The committee's first site inspection should be conducted on or before October 28, 2026, with a status report submitted thereafter.
SC also made it clear that the state would not commence any component of work requiring separate statutory clearance or permission unless that clearance or permission has first been obtained from the competent authority.
Additional Solicitor General KM Natraj appearing for Uttar Pradesh submitted that the state accepts and will comply with all the conditions recommended by CEC, the Central Zoo Authority, MoEFCC and any other competent authority.
The application was moved by Uttar Pradesh seeking prior permission or appropriate directions for establishment of a night safari and zoological park in the Kukrail forest area, Lucknow.
The application was filed in view of the interim order of February 19, 2024, whereby the court directed that any proposal for establishment of zoos and safaris referred to in the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972 by the government or any authority in forest areas other than protected areas would not be approved by the States / Union territories except with prior permission of SC.
Uttar Pradesh submitted that by a government order dated August 24, 2022, a decision was taken to shift the existing Nawab Wajid Ali Shah Zoological Park, Lucknow, and to instead establish a night safari in the Kukrail Forest Area.
The proposal was initially for establishing a zoological park over about 150 acres and a night safari over about 350 acres. The project area was later revised to 855.07 acres by government order dated July 22, 2024.
According to the state, the relocation is proposed because the existing zoo is in a densely populated part of the city and near busy roads or highways, making the present location unsuitable for conservation, breeding, expansion and modernisation of animal enclosures.
The Kukrail forest area is notified as a reserved forest under the Forest Act, 1927 and comprises around 2,027.4 hectares. The proposed project is stated to cover 855.07 acres. As per the state, with about 610.34 acres under green cover and tree felling or translocation restricted to what is unavoidable. It was further stated that invasive species would be replaced with native species for ecological restoration.
The state further stated that the proposed project area does not serve as a wildlife corridor and is not situated in the vicinity of any protected area.
Uttar Pradesh informed the apex court that the Central Zoo Authority granted prior approval for establishment of the zoo and night safari on May 15, 2023. The approval was followed by permission for setting up the zoo and night safari on June 10, 2024 and detailed project report or layout was authenticated by the authority on September 20, 2024.
The Central Zoo Authority approved the animal enclosure drawings or schematic design submitted by Uttar Pradesh on January 31, 2025. The state also referred to the government order dated February 28, 2025, whereby the estimated project cost has been approved, granting administrative and financial sanction for Phase-I of the project.
Subsequently, SC on August 29, 2025 directed Uttar Pradesh to furnish a copy of the application seeking establishment of the proposed project to the Member Secretary of CEC.
CEC was asked to examine the proposal and submit a report. SC also gave permission to persons opposing the project to file replies to CEC. The committee submitted its report on November 27, 2025.
CEC considered the materials placed before it, including the approvals granted by the Central Zoo Authority and the information furnished by the state and the objections received. Accordingly, in its report, it recommended that permission could be granted for the establishment of the Kukrail Night Safari and Zoological Park subject to strict compliance with the conditions and safeguards contained in the report.
A detailed survey of the Jilling Estate, Nainital district, Uttarakhand is required to decide whether the construction of a five-star hotel and resort is permissible in the area, said the Supreme Court on July 16, 2026.
The bench of justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta said that after reviewing the material on record, particularly the Google images shown by the appellants' counsel during the hearing, an independent oversight agency must conduct a detailed survey of the area. The SC directed the CEC to nominate a competent official to conduct an extensive survey of the area and submit a detailed report.
While conducting the survey / inspection, CEC should also examine the issue as to whether the project is permissible without environmental clearances and without approval of building plans from the concerned local authority. CEC would also examine the issue of felling of trees and destruction of forest cover, if any, and encroachment on government lands during construction of the approach roads to the site.
CEC must keep in mind the comparative status of the tree cover in the area during the last 10 years while making the inspection. The report should be submitted within three weeks, the order said.
SC directed that all necessary documents/details should be provided to the CEC for conducting the inspection.
The matter relates to construction and development activities at Jilling Estate, in the Bhimtal-Mukteshwar region, Nainital district, Uttarakhand. Concerns were raised about potential ecological damage and the disruption of wildlife movement due to proposed construction projects, including the Devanya five-star hotel and resort.
Individuals with no required qualifications are being appointed as chairperson and members of the State Environment Impact Assessment Authority (SEIAA) and State Level Expert Appraisal Committee (SEAC) in Karnataka, according to an application heard by SC July 17, 2026.
The court was informed that one respondent, Mahesh AN, is a full-time politician. He was appointed despite ignoring the mandate of the subject rules, which require considering professionals with sufficient experience in the same field if experts are unavailable.
According to the petitioner's counsel, the private respondents lack “sufficient experience” in ecology and the environment. The SC directed notice be issued to the respondents.
