The Supreme Court on Monday underscored that elephant herds instinctively travel long distances, and stressed that state governments cannot obstruct their corridors with walls or barbed wire. Declaring such blockades “unacceptable”, the Apex court directed the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) to conduct a nationwide survey to identify obstacles erected in elephant corridors.
The matter came up for hearing before a bench, comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana. Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati represented the Centre before the bench.
The CJI observed that elephants from Haryana’s Yamuna Nagar go to Himachal Pradesh, then to Uttarakhand, and then to Uttar Pradesh. “This is the elephant corridor. How can it be obstructed by a state by building a wall or laying barbed wire… These herds by nature travel far,” observed the bench, stressing that any kind of obstacle or blockade in elephant corridors is unacceptable.
Justice Bagchi said the practice of using fireballs and spikes is prevalent in West Bengal, because elephants come into the state from Nepal and go to Jharkhand and other states. The bench observed that West Bengal is the pathway from Nepal and northern hills, to Odisha and Chhattisgarh, and that the states have erected walls. A counsel argued that the MoEFCC has suggested many alternatives.
The CJI observed that the Ministry has expert bodies and takes assistance from experts, before asking the Centre’s counsel: “Which state is doing this and which state is not doing this? Have you undertaken this type of study?”
Bhati said, “In 2023, we carried out an inspection and filed a status report. We can do a fresh exercise…”
“These pathways are not state specific. They go across state borders…,” observed Justice Bagchi.
Elephant Corridors Cross State Borders: SC Says No Walls Or Fireballs Allowed
