Plea Urges CEC to Halt UP's Kukrail Night Safari Pending Fresh Appraisal

Gist A representation has been filed before the Supreme Court's Central Empowered Committee CEC seeking a halt to Uttar Pradesh's proposed Kukrail Night Safari project in Lucknow. The petitioner argues that since the CEC previously struck down key components of the original proposal, the initial environmental and Central Zoo Authority clearances are now invalid and demand fresh appraisals. For civil-services aspirants, this issue highlights the friction between eco-tourism development in reserved forests, the mandatory regulatory clearances, and the controversial exemptions granted under the recently amended Forest Conservation Act. Background The Project: Billed as India's first urban night safari, the Kukrail Night Safari and Zoological Park is proposed in Lucknow's reserved forest area, encompassing a night safari in phase one and a day zoo in phase two. Regulatory Mechanism: A previous Supreme Court order mandated that no zoos or safaris can be established in forest areas without the Court's explicit permission. Consequently, the UP government sought the SC's nod, which was granted on July 15 based on recommendations by the Central Empowered Committee CEC . The Trigger: While approving the project,…