Delhi HC expresses concern over event in Southern Ridge sanctuary

New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Thursday expressed concern over the forest department’s proposal to hold an event inside a wildlife sanctuary in the Southern Ridge here next month and asked the authorities to show it was planned in accordance with the norms.

Justice Jasmeet Singh asked the Delhi government counsel to place before the court the file relating to the proposal to hold the ‘Walk with Wildlife’ in Asola Bhatti Wildlife Sanctuary as he observed that the area may have wildlife whose location is not clear.

On Wednesday, the issue was flagged before the court by the amici curiae appointed in a case concerning conservation of the Ridge and removal of encroachment from there.

Justice Singh had then asked the government counsel to seek instructions, saying the sanctuary was not Masai Mara or Serengeti. Masai Mara is a game reserve in Kenya and Serengeti a national park in Tanzania.

The government lawyer Thursday assured the court that the decision was taken “at the highest level” in compliance with all the norms and the object behind the event was to introduce the people to the flora and fauna present in the sanctuary.

On being queried, an official present at the hearing said while he cannot readily provide the number of wildlife in the area, the sanctuary has several animals living there, including eight to nine leopards, spotted deer, hyenas, monitor lizards etc.

Calling the event, which includes a ‘cyclothon’, a “very haphazard exercise”, Justice Singh raised the alarm over the lack of knowledge with respect to the number and location of the wild animals there.

“This is a sanctuary under your control. You don’t know the wildlife. You don’t know their number. (But) you want people to get acquainted,” the court remarked.

“(What) if one leopard strays into the buffer area?” the court asked, after concern was raised about the safety of people there. Amici curiae- advocates Gautam Narayan and Aditya N Prasad- argued that such an event cannot be permitted inside a notified forest as it is prohibited under law.

Narayan argued that only vehicular movement is permitted inside a forest and the Centre’s policy on eco-tourism also does not envisage events as proposed by the forest department.

The Delhi government counsel said the department has allowed people to apply for permission to join the event which was proposed to be held only for two days on December 9 and 10.