The Orissa High Court has stayed the directions issued last month by the National Green Tribunal (NGT) regarding the notification of elephant corridor in the state in one month’s time.
The State Government had later challenged the NGT’s order dated 6 April 2023 settling 6 May deadline for the implementation of its order regarding elephant corridor notification.
Warning Odisha Forest Department to initiate proceedings, the NGT had directed the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (PCCF) (Wildlife) to implement its order and take necessary steps for notifying 14 elephant corridors in the State within a month.
“We are surprised that even after the passage of two and a half years, the State Government has not been able to notify the elephant corridors under Section 3 of the Environmental Protection Act. We grant one month’s time and no more to notify the elephant corridors. Otherwise the concerned authorities shall be liable under Section 26 of the National Green Tribunal Act,” the NGT stated in the order dated 6 April, 2023.
“This court has in fact passed a series of orders in the said Public Interest Litigation (PIL), all of which the advocate general states were brought to the notice of the NGT. It is not desirable therefore that there should be parallel proceedings both in the NGT and this court in the same issue.In that view of the matter further proceedings in NGT in the execution application shall remain stayed till the next date”, the division bench of Chief Justice S Muralidhar and Justice Gourishankar Satapathy said in an order on Thursday.
The Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife)-cum-Chief Wildlife Warden had earlier submitted details of elephant corridors in the State identifying the 14 corridors with a total area of 870.61 sq. kms having a length of 420.8 kms and a width of 0.08 km to 4.6 kms.