October 15, 2020.
TAD NewsDesk, New Delhi: The Supreme court finally assented to the Nilgiris Elephant Corridor. A right of passage to be provided to the animals and the resorts are to be closed in the area. The elephant corridor passes through the Masinagudi area near the Mudumalai National Park in the Nilgris district.
In 2011, the Madras High Court gave a proclamation empowering the Tamil Nadu government under Project Elephant‘ of the Union government as well as Article 51 A (g) of the Constitution to notify the elephant corridor in the state’s Nilgiris district.
Vishal Sinha, an advocate in the case, told Down To Earth (DTE)
“The Supreme Court Bench of S Abdul Nazeer and Sanjiv Khanna dismissed the special leave petition filed by the Hospitality Association of Mudumalai and Others against the 2011 Judgment of the Madras HC.”
The court has also permitted the formation of a committee to hear the pleas of the owners of the resorts into the area which are going to be closed.
Mr Sinha added,
“Many petitioners argued they had due permissions to operate their resorts and were inhabitants of the area living in residential spaces. The SC then expressed its inclination to appoint a three-member enquiry committee to look at the grievances of all petitioners and take a call as to which establishments should be demolished or relocated.”
During the last hearing of the case in 2020, Sharad Bobde, the current Chief Justice of India said,
“The area was a fragile ecosystem, where the will of men must give way to elephants.”
On hearing another petition on the same issue in 2018, the Supreme Court directed the Tamil Nadu government to take some major reforms. It included the closing of 11 hotels and resorts constructed on the elephant corridor in the Nilgiri Hills in violation of the law.
A bench headed by Justice Madan B Lokur has asked the hotels and resorts to produce the valid permits within the next 24 hours failing of which will lead to the sealing of the ventures.
The long-overdue judgement by the Supreme Court has been passed finally. And in the interest of the animals and not restricting their essential mobility, this has been a significant step.
Source: DownToEarth
