Drinking Water Pipeline Protected Areas

This document addresses the delegation of powers to State Governments for sanctioning the laying of drinking water pipelines and optical fiber cables in Protected Areas including National Parks, Wildlife Sanctuaries, and Tiger Reserves. The delegation is issued in the context of the Jal Jeevan Mission and incorporates the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change guidelines regarding trench dimensions and operational conditions. The document references the Wildlife Protection Act 1972 provisions and Chief Wildlife Warden approvals required for infrastructure development in protected areas. It specifically addresses the needs of SC/ST villages located within or adjacent to protected areas.