Amicus curiae seeks relocation plan for people living in eco-sensitive zones

The Supreme Court is considering a report filed by its amicus curiae to direct States through which elephant corridors run to submit voluntary relocation/rehabilitation plans for people who live in these eco-sensitive zones.

Amicus curiae A.D.N. Rao has submitted that in case this option is not feasible, the States should take steps to “acquire and secure” these zones by using funds, including the Compensatory Afforestation Fund.

The States in question include Uttarakhand, Odisha, West Bengal, Assam, Meghalaya, Kerala, Arunachal Pradesh and Tamil Nadu which has already notified the corridor for elephants in the Nilgiris in August 2010. These are States which have significant elephant population and need unhindered passage for their movement. In Tamil Nadu, a report submitted by the Nilgiris Collector in the apex court in August 2018 revealed that 821 buildings, constructions, occupancies had encroached on the notified corridor.

Linking habitats

Many included the houses of affluent persons. They have been demolished. All except one building out of 39 resorts within the corridor were found to be illegal and closed down. The amicus was responding to petitions filed by advocate Elephant G. Rajendran and activists urging the court to intervene and direct the States to acquire the critical elephant corridors to ensure safe passage for the pachyderms.

A report by the Ministry of Environment and Forests titled ‘Gajah – Securing the Future for Elephants in India’ in 2010 said long-term conservation of elephants could be done only by linking their fragmented habitats.

The amicus has asked the court to order the States concerned to submit proposals to the MoEF so that critical corridors could be notified as eco-sensitive zones. Mr. Rao recommended the court to direct the States to include the management of the corridors in the Working Plan of the Territorial Forest Divisions or in the Management Plans of the Protected Areas and Tiger Reserves.

Finally, the amicus asked the court to direct the States and the Centre to ensure that activities in the corridors be first referred to the Forest Advisory Committee and Standing Committee of the National Board for Wildlife for approval.