Guwahati: A committee of elephant experts will visit NRL Township in Golaghat district and adjoining areas to study the character and natural movements of the elephants and determine if the boundary wall constructed by NRL obstructs their natural movement.
The Gauhati High Cout in an order said, “The issues in this writ petition involve the sustenance of a boundary wall erected by the petitioner NRL in their township extension. Deputy Commissioner Golaghat is of the view that the boundary wall erected by the petitioner NRL obstructs the movement of the elephants to the extent that the entire area is a known elephant habitat area.”
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The order added, “The petitioner NRL also raises the issue that other organizations located within the elephant habitat areas are allowed to erect their own wall and it is only the NRL who has been singled out from erecting a boundary wall. In the circumstance, a necessity has arisen to understand as to what would be the extent of the elephant habitat areas in the particular locality.”
The HC further added that three experts namely, Dudul Bijoyanand Choudhury, Elephant Expert, Kaushik Barua, Conservationist/ Elephant Expert and Pankaj Sharma, Retired DFO Wildlife are of the view that they would undertake a tour of the entire area, study the character and natural movements of the elephants in the area and as to whether the offending boundary wall obstructs the natural movement of the elephants and thereafter submit a report before the Court.
The HC added that the committee comprising of the three experts along with Dr Kushal Konwar Sharma, Elephant Veterinarian were requested to visit the entire area, study the elephant character, behaviour and their natural movement in the area.
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They are also to study the extent of the area which are to be included in the area for natural movements of the elephants and point out if there exists any obstruction created by human beings to such natural movement and thereafter suggest means for mitigating the situation.
The NRL authorities are to do all the needful including providing logistic support to the committee of experts indicated above so that needful can be done without any hindrance.
“As the NRL authorities has pointed out another organization namely, NTRO which also exists within the vicinity, also with a boundary wall, and stated to be within the area of natural movement of elephants, we request K Gogoi, learned CGC to confer with the authorities of NTRO as to what are their views to facilitate free elephant movements in the area and in what manner the authorities of NTRO can coordinate, cooperate and mitigate the situation. The views of the NTRO be also provided to the Court on the next returnable date”, the order added.
As the issue involves the movement of animals in their natural habitat, the Environment and Forest Department of the Government of Assam is also to depute an official having the appropriate knowledge of animal behaviour and movement to coordinate with the expert committee and facilitate the process. “The learned counsel for the Forest and Environment Department to coordinate the activities of the deputed officials and the expert committee”, the order added.
The HC added, “For the purpose, the authorities in the NRL may also depute an appropriate officer of the organisation having good knowledge of animal behaviour and character to coordinate with the expert committee for the furtherance of the work.”