New Delhi: The Supreme Court has made it clear that states cannot obstruct designated elephant corridors merely because the movement of elephants is resulting in crop damage, stressing the need to protect traditional wildlife routes and ensure uninterrupted movement of the animals.
Chief Justice of India Surya Kant directed the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change to undertake a fresh, nationwide survey of elephant corridors and submit a comprehensive report on the status of these routes.
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The report is expected to identify obstructions affecting elephant movement across the country and outline measures required to ensure that the animals can move freely through their established corridors.
The court’s observations underline the importance of balancing human-wildlife conflict with wildlife conservation. While crop damage caused by elephants remains a serious concern for farmers living near forest areas, the Supreme Court has indicated that such losses cannot by themselves be used as a justification for blocking elephant corridors.
The fresh survey is expected to provide updated information on the country’s elephant corridors, including areas where human activity, infrastructure or other barriers may be restricting movement.
The direction comes amid growing concerns over human-elephant conflict in several parts of India, where elephants frequently move between forest habitats and agricultural areas in search of food and water.
The Supreme Court’s intervention seeks to strengthen the protection of elephant corridors and facilitate coordinated measures by the Centre and states to minimise conflict while safeguarding the natural movement of the country’s elephant population.
