logo
Amici Curiae object to erection of steel wire rope fencing in Thondamuthur to prevent human-elephant conflicts

Amici Curiae object to erection of steel wire rope fencing in Thondamuthur to prevent human-elephant conflicts

The Hindua day ago
A team of amici curiae assisting the Madras High Court in forest related cases has raised objections to the Tamil Nadu Government's proposed move to erect a steel wire rope fencing for a distance of 10 km at Thondamuthur in Coimbatore district to prevent Human-Elephant Conflicts (HEC).
A special Division Bench of Justices N. Sathish Kumar and D. Bharatha Chakravarthy had called for the response of the amici curiae T. Mohan, Chevanan Mohan, Rahul Balaji and M. Santhanaraman to a counter affidavit filed by the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests-cum-Chief Wildlife Warden Rakesh Kumar Dogra.
Waking to the call OF THE WILD: India's rich wildlife heritage is under threat as human-animal conflicts intensify
Responding to a case filed by activist S. Muralidharan, the PCCF-cum-CWC had on June 20, 2025 told the court the Forest Department had initially proposed to erect steel wire rope fence in Coimbatore forest division for a distance of 30 km but financial sanction was accorded only for 10 km.
'Coimbatore forest division was spread over 693.48 sqkm and shared a boundary with habitations for a length of about 350 km where it was vulnerable to HEC. Elephants had strayed out 9,710 times in this division in the past three years and 147 deaths had occurred during 2011-2022,' the officer said.
The government had to pay a compensation of ₹11.35 crore to the families of the dead. He added traditional methods of digging elephant proof trenches and erecting solar fences had proved to be ineffective with the pachyderms that indulge in crop raiding and house breaking.
'Hence, it was decided that elephant proof steel wire rope fencing could be done on a pilot basis in Thondamuthur. Accordingly, Chief Minister M.K. Stalin made the announcement on November 6, 2024 and a Government Order sanctioning ₹5 crore was issued on February 4, 2025,' he said.
Amici curiae's report
Filing their response to the PCCF-cum-CWC's counter affidavit, the amici curiae told the court the area where the steel wire rope fencing had been proposed marks an abrupt shift from forest to private lands. They said, the terrain was slopy and there was no buffer zone for elephants to navigate.
'The steep slopes and the fence together will lock the area with no other solution for the elephants but to either circumnavigate the hills or try to force themselves through the fence. In both cases, the risk of mortality will be increased,' the amici curiae said by relying upon certain studies undertaken in the area.
'As the fence covers 10 km, elephants coming into the private from the adjacent forests will be prevented from accessing the forests on the other side and it may lead to more conflict. Closing off forests completely will solve problems locally but shift the conflict elsewhere,' they added.
The lawyers also said: 'A scientific study must be undertaken to understand the impacts before fencing... The Forest Department is in the process of notifying elephant corridors across Tamil Nadu. Until the corridors in Coimbatore region are consolidated and notified, the fencing may be held off.'
After taking the report of the amici curiae on file, the judges adjourned the hearing to July 25, 2025 and ordered maintenance of status quo till then.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

UP govt gears up for green push with mega plantation drive, ministers to plant saplings in all 75 districts
UP govt gears up for green push with mega plantation drive, ministers to plant saplings in all 75 districts

Hans India

timean hour ago

  • Hans India

UP govt gears up for green push with mega plantation drive, ministers to plant saplings in all 75 districts

The Uttar Pradesh government is all set to launch a mega plantation drive on Wednesday, hoping to turn it into a historic and unprecedented event. Under this green initiative, 37 crore saplings will be planted across all districts of the state in a single day. Various ministers of the Yogi Adityanath government will lead the campaign by planting saplings across all 75 districts. Senior administrative officers have been designated as district nodal officers, who will reach their respective districts on Tuesday to review preparations. Officers from the Forest Department are coordinating with various departments and ministries to ensure seamless execution. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath will lead plantation drives in Ayodhya and Azamgarh, accompanied by Forest Minister (Independent Charge) Dr Arun Saxena and Minister of State for Forests KP Malik. Governor Anandiben Patel will participate in the campaign from Barabanki, while State Minister Satish Sharma will represent the state government there. Deputy Chief Ministers Keshav Prasad Maurya and Brajesh Pathak will plant saplings in Meerut and Lucknow, respectively. From Cabinet Ministers to Ministers of State (Independent Charge) and state ministers, all will lead the initiative across all 75 districts. According to information shared by the government, cabinet minister Suresh Khanna will lead the plantation drive in Shahjahanpur, Surya Pratap Shahi in Ayodhya, and Swatantra Dev Singh in Gorakhpur, while other ministers like Nand Gopal Gupta 'Nandi' will take the lead in Prayagraj, Anil Rajbhar in Azamgarh, Rakesh Sachan in Kanpur Dehat, AK Sharma in Jaunpur, Yogendra Upadhyay in Agra, Dr Sanjay Nishad in Ambedkar Nagar and Om Prakash Rajbhar in Ghazipur. Senior officials have been appointed as nodal officers for the Plantation Drive-2025 across various districts. Principal Secretary M. Devraj will oversee Prayagraj, while Jal Nigam (Rural) MD Dr Rajshekhar will be in Varanasi. The CEO of Invest UP, Vijay Kiran Anand, is assigned to Jaunpur, and Medical Health Secretary Dr Pinky Jovel to Mirzapur. Ayodhya will be overseen by Principal Secretary (Irrigation and Water Resources) Anil Garg, Barabanki by Basic Education Secretary Sarika Mohan, and Lucknow by Principal Secretary (Medical Health) Parthasarathi Sen Sharma. For the success of Plantation Drive-2025, Forest Department officials are also coordinating with all relevant departments and ministries.

Renovation of Lower Bhavani Project canal in Erode nears completion
Renovation of Lower Bhavani Project canal in Erode nears completion

The Hindu

time2 hours ago

  • The Hindu

Renovation of Lower Bhavani Project canal in Erode nears completion

The extensive renovation of the Lower Bhavani Project (LBP) canal system, undertaken at a cost of ₹709.60 crore, is expected to be completed in a month. Water from Bhavanisagar Dam will be released into the LBP canal for irrigation on the customary date of August 15, 2025, officials confirmed. The LBP system consists of the 201-km-long main canal, which draws water from the Bhavanisagar Dam and irrigates around 2.07 lakh hectares in Erode, Tiruppur, and Karur districts. The main canal also feeds the Arakkankottai and Thadapalli channels at the Kodiveri anicut. Additionally, the 90.5-km-long Kalingarayan canal forms part of the broader LBP system, bringing the total canal network length to 395 km. Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation for the extension, renovation, and modernisation of the LBP system during his visit to Coimbatore in February 2021. The project aims to ensure timely and adequate water delivery across the command area by improving water efficiency and adopting sustainable conservation strategies. The renovation works, divided into four packages, began in 2021. The comprehensive initiative includes the repair and replacement of damaged sluices, aqueducts, syphons, drops, culverts, and outlets. It also involves constructing protective canal walls in vulnerable areas to prevent erosion and breaches, and strengthening old masonry and concrete structures to enhance durability. By 2024, nearly 85% of the work had been completed. Following the end of the irrigation season on April 30, 2025, the remaining work resumed and is now actively under way at 115 locations, focusing on critical infrastructure components such as sluices, culverts, and syphons. Though the works were initially scheduled for completion in two years, the progress was delayed due to protests from a section of farmers opposing the project, even as others supported it. Mediation efforts by Ministers and district authorities followed, and after legal proceedings in the Madras High Court, work eventually resumed. According to a senior engineer from the Water Resources Department, 94% of the renovation has now been completed, and the remaining tasks are expected to be finished before the August 15 deadline. Despite demands from certain farmer groups for early water release, the department has reiterated that adhering to the scheduled timeline is essential for the long-term sustainability of the canal system. 'Water will be released only after full completion of the works to ensure structural safety and protect the integrity of the newly installed components,' the official said.

Madras High Court refuses to reject election petition against AIADMK MLA Natham Viswanathan
Madras High Court refuses to reject election petition against AIADMK MLA Natham Viswanathan

The Hindu

time2 hours ago

  • The Hindu

Madras High Court refuses to reject election petition against AIADMK MLA Natham Viswanathan

The Madras High Court, on Monday (July 7, 2025), dismissed AIADMK MLA and former Minister Natham R. Viswanathan's plea to reject an election petition filed by his rival candidate M.A. Andiambalam of DMK challenging his victory from Natham constituency in Dindigul district in the 2021 Assembly polls. Justice P.T. Asha concurred with advocate Richardson Wilson, representing the election petitioner, that his client had made out a prima facie case for conducting a full-fledged trial on the election petition and therefore it could not be rejected in limine at the request of the MLA. In his election petition, Mr. Andiambalam stated he was declared to have lost the 2021 election by a margin of 11, 932 votes since he secured 95,830 votes as against 1,07,762 votes polled by Mr. Viswanathan. He claimed that the election of his rival candidate ought to be set aside in view of various corrupt practices. The petitioner alleged the AIADMK MLA had violated many provisions of the Representation of the People Act of 1951, the Conduct of Election Rules of 1961 and also a series of notifications issued by the Election Commission of India thereby materially affecting the result of the polls.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store