Supreme Court clears road for country’s first night safari in Lucknow’s Kukrail Reserve Forest

HomeNext Supreme Court clears road for country’s first night safari in Lucknow’s Kukrail Reserve Forest The Court directed the state to comply with all conditions imposed by various statutory authorities along with prior clearances before starting the work.

Published on: Jul 16, 2026, 08:41:36 IST By Abraham Thomas, New Delhi Prefer HTon Google Share via Copy link The Supreme Court on Wednesday gave its nod for establishing the country’s first night safari at Lucknow’s Kukrail Reserve Forest and directed the state to comply with all conditions imposed by various statutory authorities along with prior clearances before starting the work.

India News The bench headed by Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant passed the order on an application moved by the Uttar Pradesh government after obtaining the opinion of the expert body, Central Empowered Committee (CEC), which granted conditional approval for the project.

The UP government had obtained approval from the Central Zoo Authority (CZA) and the ministry of environment forests and climate change (MoEFCC) and was awaiting the court’s nod since an order of February 19, 2024 passed by the top court mandates that no final approval shall be granted for establishment of any zoo or safari without prior permission of the court.

The bench, also comprising justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana, said, “The state has agreed to abide by all conditions recommended by the CEC.

In view of the fact that the CZA and MoEFCC have granted approval for establishment of night safari, we allow the present application.” The court allowed the state to proceed with the project as per the CEC recommendations and directed the CEC Member- Secretary to conduct periodic visits and submit reports.

“Any breach of conditions will be viewed seriously,” the bench said as it allowed the state to obtain prior permissions for felling of trees as the area is a reserve forest.

The court even allowed any public spirited person to give suggestions to the CEC for effective execution of the project.

With the permission in place, India is set to get its first night safari.

Globally, this will be the fifth such venture after Singapore, China, Thailand and Indonesia.

The state’s application was moved in a pending batch of cases by former bureaucrats and environment activists challenging the latest amendments to the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980.

The February 2024 order came to be passed as the petitioners raised objection to the diversion of forest land for non-forestry activity in the name of establishing a zoo and safari.

Along with the night safari, the state took a decision in August 2022 to shift the existing Nawab Wajid Ali Shah Zoological Park, Lucknow to the night safari site in the Kukrail Forest Area claiming that its present location in the heart of the city provided no scope of expansion of enclosures.

The state further argued that the night safari will attract tourism, provide jobs to the local population, and enhance the experience of visitors to view animals in their natural environment.

The CEC did not approve shifting of the 104-year-old Nawab Wajid All Shah Zoological Garden as the 72-acre zoo is larger than many well-functioning urban zoos across India.

The same also plays a crucial role as a major urban green lung, the expert body stated in its report to the court in November 2025.

However, it added that the state can establish another day zoo at the proposed site at Kukrail.

The original plan of the state included an Adventure Zone at the proposed zone that was shot down by CEC.

The report of the expert body said, “The Adventure Zone proposed by the Forest Department shall not be established.

Forest land cannot be used for such non-forestry recreational activities, and no approval for any such facility has been granted by the CZA.” The report required the UP government to scrupulously follow the CZA’s 2005 Guidelines for the Operations of the Night Safari in Recognized Indian Zoos and set up an Oversight Committee to ensure full and continuous strict compliance with all regulatory conditions and environmental safeguards.

As per the state’s application, while 855 acres is proposed for the zoo and night safari, 71% of this area will be kept green.

It further stated that efforts will also be made to minimize tree felling required to be undertaken for the project.

The project entails a cost of ₹1,510 crores that will provide an opportunity for high-quality wildlife observation and exhibition, an immersive educational experience, state-of-the-art visitor amenities, and adequate green spaces.

The state said that it expects to receive a footfall of approximately 4,000 visitors per day on weekdays and around 8,000 visitors on weekends and holidays.

The state’s proposal was objected to by environmental activists in the top court who claimed that Lucknow’s green cover has witnessed an alarming decline of 20% with 227 hectares of green area lost between 2001 and 2023.

The state assured the court that of the 24,274 trees falling within the area in question, only 4800 trees will be felled and 877 translocated while the bulk being retained inside the night safari.