CUTTACK: The Orissa High Court has issued notices to the Centre as well as the state government on a petition seeking its intervention against inclusion of “Jayara,” the sacred groves and burial ground of the Munda tribal community, in the enclosure constructed for tigress Zeenat in the Similipal Tiger Reserve (STR).
The single judge bench of Justice SK Panigrahi issued the notices on Monday on a petition filed by Nandi Ho and two other members of Munda community of Jamunagarh. Jamunagarh, a part of Gudgudia gram panchayat, comes under STR in Mayurbhanj district.
Zeenat, translocated from Tadoba Andheri Tiger Reserve in Maharashtra as part of a tiger supplementation project last year, had moved out from Similipal to Jharkhand and then to Bengal. On December 28, she was recaptured in West Bengal and brought back on Jan 1. The tigress was initially lodged in a small enclosure but later shifted to a larger enclosure, as per the guidelines of the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA).
The petition sought the HC’s direction to shift the enclosure from the area in which the sacred groves and burial ground of the Munda tribal community was located. The petition also sought direction for restoration of the sacred grove to its original condition prior to construction of the enclosure.
While senior advocate Rajesh Kumar Mohapatra appeared on behalf of the state government and additional government advocate Debasish Nayak represented the state, advocate Afraaz Suhail made submissions on behalf of the petitioners.
The deputy director of Similipal south division had rejected the applications of the petitioners and other residents of Jamunagarh for entering their sacred groves and burial ground. The petition challenged the rejection order issued on January 22.
Taking note of the submissions, Justice Panigrahi sought replies from the respondents and fixed March 25 as the next date for hearing on the matter.
Accordingly, Justice Panigrahi issued notices to the secretary, Ministry of Tribal Affairs (MoTA), additional chief secretary, Forest and Environment department of Odisha, principal chief conservator of forests (wildlife), collector & district magistrate of Mayurbhanj, deputy director of Similipal south division and field director of STR.