Rajaji and Benog eco-sensitive zones, October 2026: what Dehradun buyers face

The Supreme Court's deadline to notify eco-sensitive zones around tiger reserves falls in November 2026. Rajaji's zone is still not final, and a default 10 km buffer is being applied.

What happened

The Supreme Court set a one-year deadline. On 17 November 2025, in the case In Re: Corbett, a bench of Chief Justice BR Gavai, Justice AG Masih and Justice AS Chandurkar directed all state governments to notify eco-sensitive zones (ESZs) around all tiger reserves, including buffer and fringe areas, within one year of the judgment, LiveLaw reported. That puts the deadline at 17 November 2026. The court said an ESZ must cover the whole buffer and fringe area, with at least a one-kilometre cushion around critical habitat where there is no buffer. It also banned mining within one kilometre of tiger habitat, buffer or ESZ boundaries, whichever is larger, and said eco-friendly resorts may be allowed only in buffers, never in corridors.

Rajaji is one of the reserves still waiting. The Tribune reported in April 2025 that Rajaji was among 50 tiger reserves and national parks without a final ESZ notification, and that on 5 March 2025 the Supreme Court had rapped the Uttarakhand government for not declaring ESZs around Corbett and Rajaji. The same report said a 0-km ESZ had been proposed for the Mussoorie Wildlife Sanctuary, also known as Benog, and that this had been flagged as a problem.

The Centre sent back the Corbett proposal. ETV Bharat reported in November 2025 that the Union Environment Ministry had rejected the state's ESZ proposal for Corbett and asked for a revised version. It said the draft had irregular boundaries, "some areas extending beyond one kilometre and others being reduced to zero", and sought exemptions for rural and residential areas. We could not find a similar report on the Rajaji draft.

Mining near Rajaji and Benog was refused. In April 2026 the Tribune and The Wire reported that the Standing Committee of the National Board for Wildlife had rejected 19 Uttarakhand proposals for mining in the ESZs of Rajaji Tiger Reserve and Benog Wildlife Sanctuary. Both reports said that, where no ESZ has been notified, a 10 km area around a protected area is treated as the default ESZ. The committee cited missing studies on river stretches and the fact that neither zone had been finalised. Its minutes, as quoted by both, said the state "was further directed to comply with the court's directions and issue the draft ESZ notification."

Survey work in the villages. The Forest Research Institute in Dehradun said its environment information centre surveyed 96 villages in the ESZ of Rajaji National Park from 4 to 8 February 2026. It listed villages such as Bhoggawala, Laldhang, Rasulpur, Kandakhol and Rattapani, and said it gathered household data on livelihoods and forest dependency.

What we do not know. As of 14 October 2026 we found no report that a draft or final ESZ for Rajaji or Benog has been published. We also found no report on whether the state will ask the court for more time. Older reports gave different figures for how many villages would be in or out of a Rajaji zone, and we could not confirm the latest count.

What it means for buyers and builders in Dehradun

This section is our view.

Check the distance to the park boundary. Rajaji and the Mussoorie-Benog sanctuary both sit close to Dehradun, so many plots on the edges of the valley may fall within 10 km of one of them. Until a final ESZ is notified, the 10 km default can be applied to projects that need clearances. Ask the seller, and the forest division office, how far the plot is from the nearest protected area.

A house is not the same as a resort or a quarry. The rejections reported this year were for mining. ESZ rules usually regulate commercial and polluting activity more strictly than a family home. But hotels, homestays and resorts near forests face the most questions. If you plan a stay business near Rajaji, wait to see the final zone map before you buy. Our guide on the Doon Valley notification and building in Dehradun explains a separate set of rules that already applies.

Watch for the draft notification. When a draft ESZ is published, the public gets time to object. Read the boundary map and the list of villages. If your land falls inside, note what is allowed, regulated or banned.

Do the usual land checks too. Forest land, deemed forest and land next to a reserve all carry extra risk. Make sure the khasra is not recorded as forest or van panchayat land. Our list of questions before buying land in Uttarakhand covers the rest.

If you want a ready home away from the forest edge, browse property for sale in Dehradun on ILA Infra.

Questions people ask

What is an eco-sensitive zone?

It is a belt around a national park or sanctuary where certain activities are banned or regulated under the Environment Protection Act. The idea is to soften the impact of human activity on the protected area.

Is there an eco-sensitive zone around Rajaji National Park now?

Not a final one, according to the reports we read. The Tribune and The Wire reported in April 2026 that a 10 km default ESZ is applied where no zone has been notified.

When must Uttarakhand notify the Rajaji ESZ?

The Supreme Court's 17 November 2025 judgment gave states one year to notify ESZs around all tiger reserves, which means by 17 November 2026.

Sources

Buying or selling property in Dehradun and unsure about the paperwork? Call Neeraj Thapa on +91 98320 03494.

How we write these: the ILA Infra team reads the reports listed under Sources and links every one, so you can check each figure yourself. The section on what it means for buyers is our own view, not advice.