Roopak Gangadharan
24-12-2009, 07:40 PM
The Madras High Court has banned all construction activities in the proposed elephant corridors covering all bottlenecks connecting Segur Plateau and Mudumalai Tiger Reserve – part of Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve - in the southern state of Tamil Nadu. Strongly favouring the ‘rights of passage’ of wild elephants, the court also ordered demolition of all illegal commercial ventures within the corridors.
The court last week passed the final ruling in favour of the Tamil Nadu Forest Department in the case against private establishments obstructing movement of wild elephants. The court upheld its interim judgment passed a month ago.
“This is a significant milestone in India’s elephant conservation history. We were always optimistic that the final ruling would be in favour of elephants,” said Dr B Ramakrishnan, Wildlife Trust of India (WTI) field officer, who was among the team of researchers including R Arumugam, consultant, WTI and N Mohanraj, WWF-India assisting the forest department in the case.
http://www.wti.org.in/current-news/091208_high_court_upholds_elephants_right_of_passa ge_in_nilgiris.html
The court last week passed the final ruling in favour of the Tamil Nadu Forest Department in the case against private establishments obstructing movement of wild elephants. The court upheld its interim judgment passed a month ago.
“This is a significant milestone in India’s elephant conservation history. We were always optimistic that the final ruling would be in favour of elephants,” said Dr B Ramakrishnan, Wildlife Trust of India (WTI) field officer, who was among the team of researchers including R Arumugam, consultant, WTI and N Mohanraj, WWF-India assisting the forest department in the case.
http://www.wti.org.in/current-news/091208_high_court_upholds_elephants_right_of_passa ge_in_nilgiris.html