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Tiger Reserve Court Order: Safety First for Kids!
3 Apr
Summary
- Court orders safe transport for students and ambulance.
- Education and livelihood threatened by wildlife conflict.
- State has dual duty to protect animals and citizens.
The Bombay High Court's Kolhapur bench has issued ad-interim directives to the Maharashtra Forest Department and government administration. These orders mandate the provision of safe transport for school children and an ambulance for residents within the Sahyadri Tiger Reserve's (STR) buffer zone, aiming to reduce casualties from human-animal conflicts.
These directions were given in response to a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by Harish Kamble, highlighting how the education of approximately 500 students in five schools has been disrupted by frequent sightings of tigers and leopards. The PIL also noted that over a thousand acres of agricultural land remain uncultivated due to farmers' fear of wildlife attacks, impacting their right to livelihood.
The court stressed the state's responsibility under the Wildlife Protection Act and the Constitution to protect both animals and citizens. The High Court ordered the identification of dangerous schools within seven days and the deployment of a Rapid Response Team (RRT) to escort students between 6 am and 6 pm. Additionally, an Advanced Life Support (ALS) ambulance is to be permanently stationed at the Shittur-Warun primary centre.
The STR, notified in January 2010, spans 1,165.57 square kilometers across Satara, Sangli, Kolhapur, and Ratnagiri districts, including Chandoli National Park and Koyna Wildlife Sanctuary. Despite conservation efforts and an increase in tiger population, human-wildlife conflict remains a significant concern for villages in the buffer zone.
