SC Warns of Penalties for Destruction of Wildlife Habitat in Protected Areas; TMC Releases Election Manifesto with Welfare Promises

PTI, NEW DELHI, MARCH 20, 2026 : Taking serious note of the destruction of habitats of aquatic animals due to rampant illegal sand mining in the National Chambal Sanctuary, the Supreme Court on Friday said such destruction in a protected area would attract offences and penalties under various laws, including the Wild Life (Protection) Act.

A bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta said officials of the concerned departments of states of Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh would be held "vicariously liable" for aiding and abetting the destruction of precious habitat by allowing illegal sand mining to continue.

The National Chambal Sanctuary, also called the National Chambal Gharial Wildlife Sanctuary, is a 5,400 sq km tri-state protected area. Besides the endangered gharial (long-snouted crocodile), it is home to the red-crowned roof turtle and the endangered Ganges river dolphin.

Located on the Chambal river near the tripoint of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh, the sanctuary was first declared a protected area in Madhya Pradesh in 1978 and now constitutes a long, narrow eco-reserve co-administered by the three states.

The apex court was hearing a suo motu case titled 'In Re: Illegal sand mining in the National Chambal Sanctuary and threat to endangered aquatic wildlife'. The bench issued notice to Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and others seeking their responses in the matter.

It said the suo motu writ petition was registered based on certain news reports pertaining to rampant illegal sand mining destroying the habitats of protected species of gharial. The bench noted that the news reports gave a vivid description of the destruction of the habitat of various aquatic animals in addition to that of the gharial, and they also referred to the de-notification of around 732 hectares from the sanctuary by Rajasthan as part of a boundary rationalisation exercise.

It said detailed consideration of these aspects would be made after receiving the response from various state governments and their departments. "For the present, we may observe that every act of destruction of wildlife habitat in a protected area would attract offences and penalties under the Wild Life (Protection) Act, the Environment (Protection) Act, the Forest (Conservation) Act, the Biological Diversity Act and the Indian Forest Act as well as other applicable statutes ...," the bench said.

KOLKATA, MARCH 20, 2026 (PTI): The ruling Trinamool Congress released its manifesto for the West Bengal polls on Friday, betting big on welfare politics and wooing its formidable women support base with 10 pledges that encompass widening the ambit of existing welfare schemes, stronger healthcare outreach and infrastructure development.

The 10 "pratigyas" (pledges) party supremo Mamata Banerjee announced while unveiling the poll document include a Rs 500 hike in the Lakshmir Bhandar scheme for women and the launch of healthcare camps in every block of the state.

Women voters constitute nearly half of the state's electorate and are widely seen as the backbone of the TMC's electoral success over the past decade. The manifesto also places a strong emphasis on social welfare, healthcare access, youth support and agriculture.

The Chief Minister, who is eyeing a fourth straight term, said the commitments would serve as a governance roadmap for the next five years once the TMC retains power in the state. Mamata said the pledges were aimed at ensuring "the wheels of development continue to move forward without interruption".

The manifesto also includes Mamata promising a Rs 30,000 crore special agriculture budget to strengthen the state's farming ecosystem and support both farmers and landless cultivators. Calling farmers the "annadata" (food providers) and the pride of Bengal, she said the initiative would boost rural livelihood and agricultural productivity.

The incumbent party also promised that every family in the state would have a pucca house and access to purified drinking water, reinforcing its focus on housing and basic infrastructure.

In the education sector, Mamata pledged a major infrastructure overhaul for government schools under the 'Banglar Shikshayatana' initiative to ensure better facilities and global-standard education for students.

On the economic front, the manifesto outlined plans to transform West Bengal into the commercial hub of eastern India by developing world-class logistics, ports and commercial infrastructure. Mamata said the TMC government would also work towards establishing a global trade centre in the state to attract investment and strengthen Bengal's position as a preferred destination for business and industry.

Underscoring that empowering women remains central to her government's political and social agenda, Mamata said: "I am determined to make the mothers and sisters of Bengal self-reliant."

Political observers have often credited welfare schemes such as Lakshmir Bhandar for the TMC being able to build a support base among women voters who have played a decisive role in the party's victories in the 2021 Assembly polls and subsequent local body elections.

The manifesto also promises the launch of doorstep delivery of healthcare services under 'Duare Chikitsa', under which the state government would organise healthcare camps in each block and town every year. "Healthcare services will reach the courtyard of every household. Through Duare Chikitsa camps in every block and town, people will have access to quality healthcare at their doorstep," the Chief Minister said.

Aiming to address the vexing issue of youth unemployment, the TMC chief said the government would continue financial assistance for jobless youth through the 'Banglar Yuva-Sathi' scheme, under which eligible beneficiaries will receive Rs 1,500 per month.

Farmers' welfare too features prominently in the manifesto.