CHENNAI: The Madras High Court on Friday directed the State forest department to prevent cattle grazing on forest land as it disturbs wildlife. A Division Bench of justices V Bharathidasan and N Sathish Kumar issued the direction while hearing a plea by G Thirumurugan aka Theeran Thirumurugan of Ramanathapuram.
The petitioner said the catchments of Vaigai river in Megamalai forest of Theni district is receiving scanty rains over the past ten years owing to the destruction of grassland in the Megamalai forest and Megamalai wildlife sanctuary divisions. Rampant illegal grazing of cattle, particularly a breed called Malaimaadu, on forest land in Theni leads to habitat loss for wildlife, the petitioner said.
Wild animals are suffering from food and water shortages because of the illegal grazing of cattle on forest land, he said, adding that a large number of such cattle are being transported to neighbouring Kerala for butchering.
The petitioner sought the court to pass orders restraining the forest department from granting permission for grazing cattle inside the Megamalai wildlife division and sanctuary, apart from Theni forest division, and also completely ban cattle grazing in these places.
SIT to stop poaching
In another hearing by the Bench, the CBI and the State government have submitted a list of officers to be part of the multi-departmental Special Investigation Team (SIT) to investigate elephant poaching incidents. The Kerala government, however, is yet to furnish its list of officers to be part of the SIT, the Bench stated, and posted the matter to March 17.