NGT Warns Odisha State Authorities To Notify Elephant Corridors Or Face The Consequences

The Eastern Zone of National Green Tribunal (NGT) has warned the Odisha State authorities to notify the elephant corridors, failing which the concerned authorities shall be liable under Section 26 of the National Green Tribunal Act.

The bench of Justice B.Amit Sthalekar and Dr Afroz Ahmad (Expert Member) said that, “The Original Application was filed in 2016 and final orders were passed on 17.08.2021. We are surprised that even after 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.”

The bench was hearing the execution of an application which was originally filed in 2016 to seek directions for the Odisha state authorities to submit proposals for the declaration and notification of 14 elephant corridors to the Central Government.

In 2021, the bench had ordered the State of Odisha to notify the elephant corridors as identified by the Asian Nature Conservation Foundation (ANCF) and the Action Plan, in accordance with the law, within a period of two months from the date of the order,which was August 17, 2021.

In response to the present execution application the state has mentioned “all sorts of difficulties” in notifying the corridor, the bench observed.

The Tribunal has expressed surprise that even after two and a half years since the Original Application was filed in 2016 and final orders were passed on 17.08.2021, the State Government has not been able to notify the elephant corridors under section 3 of the Environmental Protection Act.

The NGT has now granted one month's time, with a warning that if the elephant corridors are not notified within this period, the concerned authorities shall be liable under section 26 of the National Green Tribunal Act.

The matter will now be taken up on 9 May.

Case Title:Wildlife Society of Orissa v. State of Odisha & Ors

Counsel for Applicant: Mr. Sankar Prasad Pani

Counsel for Respondents:Mr. Janmejaya Katikia,AGA

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