Guwahati: The Supreme Court on Monday said States cannot obstruct elephant corridors simply because wild elephants damage crops, stressing that established wildlife movement routes must remain open.
A bench comprising Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, Justice Joymalya Bagchi and Justice V. Mohana made the observation while hearing a matter related to elephant corridors and human-elephant conflict.
The bench stressed that elephant herds naturally travel long distances and their movement cannot be restricted by putting up barriers along their established routes.
“We are very clear that there cannot be obstacles in the way of wildlife. Elephant herds have a practice of travelling long distances. No State can say that just because crops are getting destroyed, there have to be obstacles in their path,” the bench observed.
The Supreme Court also directed the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) to conduct a fresh survey of elephant corridors across the states and submit a detailed status report on the issue.
The report will have to detail the initiatives and necessary steps taken to prevent obstructions along the corridors. It must also indicate the position regarding the use of firearms and measures adopted by authorities to prevent interference with the natural movement of elephants.
Pronouncing the order, the Chief Justice said the court had been informed about mandatory guidelines issued by the ministry to ensure that elephant corridors passing through different states remain unobstructed. However, the court was also informed that certain local factors had led to obstructions along some of these corridors.
Counsel appearing in the matter submitted that elephants were often chased by people in mob-like situations, further aggravating human-elephant conflict.
The counsel called for steps to prevent the use of firearms against elephants and interference with their natural movement, including a ban on ‘hulla parties’ – groups of people who gather to chase or drive elephants away from human habitations and agricultural fields.