The Supreme Court Wednesday wanted a detailed report of the Karnataka government on the shocking deaths of five tigers, apparently the result of poisoning, in the Male Mahadeshwara (MM) Hills Wildlife Sanctuary. The Supreme Court has also pointed out towards the serious lack of manpower on the ground in the wildlife sanctuaries of the state and asked the Centre to develop a long-term solution to curbing man-animal conflict issues nationwide.
A bench presided over by the Chief Justice of India (CJI) Bhushan R. Gavai showed grave concern over the incident, calling it one of the major tiger deaths in a single episode. The court observed that out of the total 100 postings of foresters and forest watchers in MM Hills Sanctuary, about 80% of the posts lie vacant, thus concerned with the effectiveness of the measure to protect wildlife. The site has given notices to the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) and the Karnataka government to come out with remedial measures.
The court observations were after looking at the report by Central Empowered Committee (CEC) it helps the court on issues concerning wildlife and environment. According to the report, formed on the basis of results of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) developed by the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), all deaths were the result of retaliatory poisoning. People in villages supposedly sprayed a pesticide on the dead body of a cow, which a tiger and her four cubs ate, causing death to the tiger and her cubs.
Appearing as an amicus curiae, senior advocate K. Parmeshwar has told the court that there have been such retaliatory poisonings in other nearby reserves, especially Bandipur, during 2019-20. The killing incident of June 26 evoked a public uproar, especially since four of the tigers killed were age-mature cubs, below a year old. The case may result in increased protection of the tigers and better staffing in sanctuaries.
Join our whatsapp group for Latest updates
Click Here for Chhattisgarh News
Click Here for Entertainment News