States can’t create blockades in elephant corridors: SC

The Supreme Court on Monday directed the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEFCC) to conduct a nationwide survey to check if any state has constructed obstacles or created blockades in elephant corridors, saying it was unacceptable.

A bench of Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana made it clear that states cannot construct obstacles in the pathways of elephants to prevent loss of crops and livelihoods.

“Construction of any kind of obstacle or creating blockades in elephant corridors is not acceptable. We are very clear that there cannot be obstacles in the way of wildlife. Elephant herds have a practice of travelling long distances. No state can say that just because crops are getting destroyed, they will have to construct obstacles on their path,” the bench said.

Justice Bagchi said the practice of using fireballs and spikes in West Bengal is prevalent because the elephants come from Nepal and through West Bengal they go to Jharkhand and other states.

CJI Kant said in the Yamuna Nagar area of Haryana, there are elephants and from there they travel to Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh.

“No state can block their path,” the CJI said.