HC decides to take up issue of elephant corridors (Cuttack)
Lalmohan Patnaik, Times of India
November 26, 2024
The issue of elephant corridors in the state is back in focus after the
Orissa high court on Tuesday decided to prioritise the Wildlife Society of
Orissa's petition seeking a recall of the court's May 4, 2023 stay order on
a National Green Tribunal ultimatum to the state govt on notifying such
corridors.
The high court decision came while hearing the case of the death of three
elephants due to electrocution under Rairakhol forest division of Sambalpur
district on Nov 18. The case was registered suo motu.
The two-judge bench of Chief Justice Chakradhari Sharan Singh and Justice
Savitri Ratho took the decision after WSO counsel Sankar Prasad Pani drew
its attention to the stay order passed on NGT's proceedings on elephant
corridors.
"We make it clear that on the next date, after two weeks, we will take up
as the first case the state govt's petition in which the interim stay order
was passed," the bench said.
According to case records, on April 6, 2023, the NGT's East Zone bench in
Kolkata had warned the state's principal chief conservator of forests
(wildlife) and chief wildlife warden that it would proceed under Section 26
of the NGT Act, 2010, if the elephant corridors were not notified within a
month.
The ultimatum was issued on a petition filed by WSO seeking direction to
the state to notify 14 elephant corridors as earlier identified by the
Asian Nature Conservation Foundation (ANCF). Under Section 26 of the NGT
Act, failure to comply can invite punishment by way of prison up to a
maximum of three years or a fine which may extend to
Rs 10 crore or both.
But in a significant turn of events, the high court had on May 4, 2023,
restrained the NGT from proceeding with the ultimatum.
Later, WSO filed a petition seeking recall of the high court stay order.
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bhubaneswar/orissa-high-court-prioritizes-elephant-corridors-amid-recent-elephant-electrocutions/articleshow/115703064.cms
HC decides to take up issue of elephant corridors (Cuttack)
Lalmohan Patnaik, Times of India
November 26, 2024
The issue of elephant corridors in the state is back in focus after the
Orissa high court on Tuesday decided to prioritise the Wildlife Society of
Orissa's petition seeking a recall of the court's May 4, 2023 stay order on
a National Green Tribunal ultimatum to the state govt on notifying such
corridors.
The high court decision came while hearing the case of the death of three
elephants due to electrocution under Rairakhol forest division of Sambalpur
district on Nov 18. The case was registered suo motu.
The two-judge bench of Chief Justice Chakradhari Sharan Singh and Justice
Savitri Ratho took the decision after WSO counsel Sankar Prasad Pani drew
its attention to the stay order passed on NGT's proceedings on elephant
corridors.
"We make it clear that on the next date, after two weeks, we will take up
as the first case the state govt's petition in which the interim stay order
was passed," the bench said.
According to case records, on April 6, 2023, the NGT's East Zone bench in
Kolkata had warned the state's principal chief conservator of forests
(wildlife) and chief wildlife warden that it would proceed under Section 26
of the NGT Act, 2010, if the elephant corridors were not notified within a
month.
The ultimatum was issued on a petition filed by WSO seeking direction to
the state to notify 14 elephant corridors as earlier identified by the
Asian Nature Conservation Foundation (ANCF). Under Section 26 of the NGT
Act, failure to comply can invite punishment by way of prison up to a
maximum of three years or a fine which may extend to
Rs 10 crore or both.
But in a significant turn of events, the high court had on May 4, 2023,
restrained the NGT from proceeding with the ultimatum.
Later, WSO filed a petition seeking recall of the high court stay order.
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bhubaneswar/orissa-high-court-prioritizes-elephant-corridors-amid-recent-elephant-electrocutions/articleshow/115703064.cms
