SC panel wants full review of Lucknow Kukrail night safari plans
A ₹1,510-crore night safari in Lucknow’s Kukrail forest got a green light in July — now the Court’s own watchdog wants the whole plan checked again. The Central Empowered Committee (CEC), a Supreme Court panel that watches forest orders, has asked Uttar Pradesh to re-examine the Kukrail night safari and zoological park. It saw soil work and tree-list mismatches even before the forest land was handed to the Public Works Department. Read it to revise the CEC, forest clearances and the July 2026 Court order.
- Project cost
- About ₹1,510.57 crore
- Where
- Kukrail forest, north-east Lucknow
- SC green light
- 15 July 2026, with strict conditions
- CEC status report
- Dated 27 October 2026
Kukrail review: what happened?
A forest in Lucknow was cleared for a night safari. The Court’s forest panel now says: stop and check the whole plan again.
- The CEC told Uttar Pradesh to re-examine the full Kukrail night safari and zoological park plan, clearances and approvals.
- Its status report (27 October 2026) follows a 10 September site visit. It noted ‘visible disturbance’ — soil-levelling and differences in trees listed for cutting — even though the Forest Department had not formally handed the site to the Public Works Department.
- The panel has not yet called this a proven violation; it wants the authority, extent and legality of the work verified from records.
- On 15 July 2026 the Supreme Court allowed the project only with CEC and Central Zoo Authority conditions. It rejected moving the Nawab Wajid Ali Shah Zoological Park, an adventure park, and four-laning a road.
- The State must decide within one week whether the detailed project report, master plan or environmental clearance need changes, and tell the CEC.
What is Kukrail and who is the CEC?
Kukrail is a reserve forest on the north-east side of Lucknow. The State wants a night safari (a drive-through park for seeing animals after dark) and a zoological park there.
The Central Empowered Committee was set up in 2002 in the T.N. Godavarman forest case. In 2023 it became a permanent body under Section 3(3) of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986. It inspects sites and reports to the Supreme Court on forest and wildlife orders.
Uttar Pradesh had to seek the Court’s leave in 2025 because an earlier order barred new zoos or safaris in forest areas without Supreme Court permission.
What stays, what was cut
| Component | Status after July 2026 order |
|---|---|
| Night safari and zoological park core | Allowed with CEC and Central Zoo Authority conditions |
| Shifting Nawab Wajid Ali Shah Zoological Park | Rejected |
| Adventure park | Rejected |
| Four-laning a road into the forest | Rejected |
Which laws and bodies apply?
- Article 48A and 51A(g): State and citizens must protect forests and wildlife.
- Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, Section 3(3): power to set up authorities such as the permanent CEC (2023 notification).
- Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980: diversion of forest land needs prior Central approval.
- Central Zoo Authority under the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972: standards for zoos.
- Supreme Court order of 15 July 2026: prior leave for the Kukrail project, with periodic CEC checks.
Why does the Kukrail review matter?
| Angle | What to note |
|---|---|
| Environment | Tourism in a city forest needs tight safeguards. |
| Institutions | CEC shows how the Court watches forest clearances. |
| Lucknow | A local project that tests national forest law. |
| Compliance | A green light is not a free pass to change the plan. |
What are the problems with the Kukrail review?
- Work on the ground began before formal handover, which raises trust issues.
- Rejected pieces of the old plan may still sit inside older clearances, creating legal confusion.
- Tree inventories that do not match the ground can hide excess felling.
- Drainage, wetlands and micro-habitats need mapping before the master plan is locked.
What should be done next on the Kukrail review?
- Finish the one-week check of clearances and tell the CEC.
- Reconcile the tree list with a fresh ground survey.
- Map streams, wetlands and micro-habitats before finalising the DPR.
- Start no activity that needs a fresh approval until that approval is in hand.
What can Prelims ask on the Kukrail review?
Prelims probability: Expect a question on the Central Empowered Committee (created in the Godavarman case, made permanent in 2023) or on the need for Supreme Court leave before zoos or safaris in forest land.
- CEC: Supreme Court forest watchdog; permanent since 2023 under EPA Section 3(3).
- Born in the T.N. Godavarman case (1995 onwards).
- Zoos or safaris in forest land need Supreme Court leave (post-2024 line).
- Central Zoo Authority regulates zoos under the Wild Life (Protection) Act.
- Kukrail: reserve forest in north-east Lucknow; project about ₹1,510 crore.
How to write about the Kukrail review in Mains
Practice question (UP PCS GS-V / GS-III, 8 marks, 125 words): Tourism projects in city forests must balance jobs and ecology. Examine with reference to the Kukrail night safari and the role of the Central Empowered Committee.
- Intro: July 2026 leave and the new CEC status report.
- What the Court allowed and what it cut.
- Why the CEC wants a full re-examination.
- Safeguards: tree list, drainage, fresh approvals.
- Conclusion: green light with continuous watch.
Ready lines for your answer
- A Court green light is a conditional trust, not a blank cheque.
- City forests need tourism plans that match the trees still standing.
Quotable data pointProject cost about ₹1,510.57 crore; SC leave on 15 July 2026; CEC status report 27 October 2026.
Photo: Ishufor2025, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Exam angle
Prelims: CEC, Godavarman, EPA Section 3(3), Central Zoo Authority. · Mains GS-III: conservation versus urban tourism.
Practice MCQs
Original practice questions (not PYQs).
Consider the following statements:
1. The Central Empowered Committee was originally set up by a Supreme Court order in the T.N. Godavarman forest case.
2. In 2023 the CEC was given permanent status under Section 3(3) of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986.
3. The Central Zoo Authority is constituted under the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Answer (a) & explanation
Statements 1 and 2 are correct. Statement 3 is wrong: the Central Zoo Authority is under the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972, not the Forest (Conservation) Act.
In the Kukrail night safari matter, the Supreme Court in July 2026:
Answer (b) & explanation
The Court allowed the project with conditions, rejected shifting the existing zoo, an adventure park and four-laning, and kept the CEC on watch.
Questions students ask about this
What did the CEC ask Uttar Pradesh to do on Kukrail?
To comprehensively re-examine the night safari and zoo plans, clearances and approvals so they match the Supreme Court's July 2026 order.
What is the Central Empowered Committee?
A Supreme Court-linked body that monitors forest and wildlife Court orders; it became permanent in 2023 under the Environment (Protection) Act.
Was the Kukrail project cancelled?
No. The Court allowed it in July 2026 with conditions; the CEC now wants the revised plans checked before work goes further.
Which parts of the old plan were rejected?
Shifting the existing Lucknow zoo, building an adventure park, and widening a road to four lanes.
Why does this matter for Prelims?
It tests the CEC, forest diversion rules, and the idea that zoos in forests need Court leave.