CHENNAI: A special bench of Madras High Court on Monday ordered TANGEDCO to file a report by September 5 on steps taken to prevent electrocution of elephants and other wildlife. The bench of Justices N Sathish Kumar and D Bharatha Chakravarthy warned the TANGEDCO MD will be summoned if the report was not filed.
The direction was issued while hearing a batch of pleas on forest and wildlife matters. The standing committee of the national board for wildlife recommended eco-friendly measures to mitigate impacts of power transmission/distribution lines passing through protected forests, including rectification of sagging lines and using aerial bunched cables to avert animals coming into contact with low-hanging electric lines. It recommended joint inspection by EB and forests departments of transmission/distribution lines in protected areas. The matter was posted to September 9.