Guwahati: Even as animal rights organisations and wildlife activists expressed serious concern over the transportation of elephants to Gujarat from the Northeast, a Supreme Court-appointed High-Powered Committee (HPC) has recommended shifting of more elephants and other animals to the state.
The HPC-led by Justice (Retired) Deepak Verma in its report, a copy of which is available with Northeast Now, recommended the transfer of more elephants and other animals from Northeast to the Radha Krishna Temple Elephant Trust in Gujarat’s Jamnagar supported by Reliance Industries Limited.
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“…the facilities, area and infrastructure of the (Radha Krishna Temple Elephant) Trust is unlike any other in India and in fact, it is one of its kind in the world. That being said, it would only make sense that more Elephants and other animals be transferred here who are in need of rescue, and require aid and/or treatment of any kind. The area of the Trust is quite big and can easily accommodate more animals in need of help,” the report stated.
The Tripura high court on November 7 last year constituted the HPC headed by former Supreme Court judge justice Deepak Verma (retd) while considering a plea on transporting elephants from the Northeast to Gujarat.
Besides the judge, the committee included the Centre’s director general of forests, the head of the Union environment ministry’s Project Elephant Division, the member secretary of the Central Zoo Authority of India, and the chief wildlife warden of Tripura, Arunachal Pradesh and Gujarat.
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In March this year, hearing a petition, the Supreme Court expanded the scope of the HPC dealing with the transfer and transportation of elephants bred in captivity in the Northeast, giving it a pan-India mandate to deal with any approval or grievance regarding the transfer, import into India, or procurement of wild animals by any rehabilitation centre or zoo in the country.
The HPC in the report advised the officials concerned of the Forest Departments to transfer the distressed animals from Arunachal Pradesh and Tripura to the Trust supported by Reliance Industries Limited.
“The Trust must consider undertaking rescue missions and operations for other types of animals that are used in circuses or street shows or street begging or others seized etc. The Director General of Forests, Head of Project Elephant, Member Secretary, Central Zoo Authority, Chief Wild Life Wardens of Gujarat, Tripura and Arunachal Pradesh may consider transferring any distressed or captured animal to the said Trust, provided the Trust undertakes to take care of the said animal before any transfer takes place,” the report added.
Heaping praise on the Trust, the HPC said,” There is no doubt whatsoever that the Elephant Camp is one of its kinds. The exceptional manner in which the Camp is made, as if it is a forest itself and at the same time a scientific centre for Elephant welfare, rendered many of the members of HPC and particularly the Chairman speechless. The dedication and the commitment of all the staff members were evident.”
The HPC Chairman in the report further mentioned that the elephants brought to Trust can lead a nice, relaxing and luxurious retired life.
A local advocate from Agartala filed a petition demanding a ban on the transfer of elephants from northeast India to Radhe Krishna Temple Elephant Trust.
Similarly, another petition challenged transfers of the elephants from Karnataka to the Jamnagar Trust in Karnataka High Court which finally reached the Supreme Court.
When the Apex Court found that there was a High Powered Committee already dealing with these concerns in Tripura and Gujarat, the court extended the committee’s jurisdiction to all the states.
Over 50 elephants, mostly from Arunachal Pradesh, have been transported to Gujarat through Assam since last year.