The Uttar Pradesh government has proposed a night safari in the Kukrail Reserve Forest. While it is being planned as an eco-tourism project, artificial lighting, noise, and constant human presence threaten the very species it aims to protect.

Located on the capital city – Lucknow’s northern edge, Kukrail is more than a patch of green; it is the city’s green lung, home to owls, reptiles, migratory birds, and the nation’s most prominent gharial rehabilitation centre. Several studies describe light pollution as an “ecological pollutant” that alters animal behaviour, navigation, and reproduction, breaking the natural rhythm that species like owls, bats, and jackals depend on.

The first phase of the project, covering 6.5 hectares (about the size of two to three cricket grounds) will include enclosures, walking trails, a 7D theatre, an art gallery, and other visitor facilities. What might have required a comprehensive Environmental Impact Assessment under the 2006 notification could now, in practice, bypass rigorous scrutiny because the Forest (Conservation) Amendment Act, 2023, redefines what counts as “non-forest use” for certain government projects like safaris and zoos.

This reclassification can allow such projects to proceed without triggering the Environmental Impact Assessment process, even if their ecological footprint remains significant. However, the exemption given to safaris under Section 5(a) of the Forest (Conservation) Amendment Act, 2023 is itself under challenge in the Supreme Court.

Moreover, in its February 2024 order in the Corbett Tiger Reserve case, the Supreme Court further restricted the construction of safaris in forest areas without prior wildlife and forest clearances, making Kukrail’s legal position even more precarious.

As we contemplate the impact of what this proposed project will mean, it is important to also note that the legal status of the Kukrail Night Safari remains........

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