Saranda Wildlife Sanctuary:
The Supreme Court of India has reserved its verdict on the Jharkhand government’s plea to reduce the proposed Saranda Wildlife Sanctuary area from 310 sq km to 250 sq km, citing the need to protect tribal habitation and community rights. The Saranda Sanctuary is a proposed wildlife sanctuary in West Singhbhum district of Jharkhand, located within the Saranda Forest Division, known as one of Asia’s largest Sal (Shorea robusta) forests and a key biodiversity hotspot at the Jharkhand–Odisha border. Situated in southern Jharkhand, the Saranda region—meaning “land of seven hundred hills”—covers about 856 sq km, of which 816 sq km is reserved forest. It lies within the Singhbhum Elephant Reserve, forming a vital ecological corridor between Jharkhand, Odisha, and Chhattisgarh.
