SC seeks Rajasthan’s reply on concerns over harm to wildlife in Sariska due to vehicles

New Delhi, Aug 7 (PTI) The Supreme Court on Wednesday sought the Rajasthan government’s response on the Central Empowered Committee’s report flagging concerns over harm to wildlife in the Sariska Tiger Reserve due to the unregulated movement of private vehicles to the famous Pandupol Hanuman temple in the core area.

A bench of Justices B R Gavai, K V Viswanathan and Sandeep Mehta issued a notice to the Rajasthan government and sought its response by September 11 while noting that the state is in agreement with most of the suggestions of the court-mandated CEC.

Advocate K Parameshwar, who is assisting the court in the matter as amicus curiae, said the CEC has recommended a blanket ban on private vehicles plying to the ancient temple in the core area of the tiger reserve and suggested that electric shuttle buses could be a viable option for ferrying devotees.

He submitted that the CEC, in its report, has said the massive vehicular traffic inside the reserve is negatively affecting tiger breeding and other wildlife. Parameshwar also flagged a shortage of staff, including a vacancy for the post of field director of the reserve.

He said even the Tiger Conservation Plan, which was launched on April 1, 2015, lapsed on March 31, 2024 and since then, no such plan has been in existence.

The amicus curiae submitted that the CEC has suggested that the state government could consider constructing a ropeway, an elevated road, a motorable twin tunnel or an electric tramway to benefit both the wildlife and the devotees.

The bench told the counsel appearing in the matter on behalf of the Rajasthan government that the state can consider constructing elevated roads like in the Kaziranga National Park in Assam to protect the wildlife from vehicular movement.

The counsel said the state government is aware of many problems and it would file an affidavit about the steps being taken.

Justice Gavai said the court may direct the plying of electric buses and stop the plying of private vehicles in the reserve area.

Parameshwar said the top court had last year set up a high-level panel to suggest an “everlasting solution” for the protection of the flora and fauna in the tiger reserve after taking note of the fact that lakhs of devotees visit the ancient temple.

He said the unrestricted movement of tourist vehicles to the Pandupol temple, located 22 kilometres inside the reserve’s core area, is affecting tiger conservation. Nestled in the Aravalli mountain range, the Sariska Tiger Reserve spans Alwar and Jaipur districts of Rajasthan and its core area supports diverse wildlife, including multiple cat species, mongooses and marsh crocodiles.