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Supreme Court orders new measures to protect Indian elephants
The Supreme Court of India has directed the government to implement new steps to protect the country's threatened elephant population, including the creation of a national elephant conservation plan and the formation…
The Supreme Court of India has directed the government to implement new steps to protect the country's threatened elephant population, including the creation of a national elephant conservation plan and the formation of a committee to oversee its execution. The order comes in response to a petition highlighting the challenges elephants face in one of the world's most densely populated regions.
Bindra, a former member of the National Board for Wildlife, stated that the court's directive was essential for ensuring the survival of elephants in such areas. The court has also instructed states to identify and secure elephant corridors, preventing habitat fragmentation and human-elephant conflict.
The order is seen as a significant legal intervention to address the declining elephant numbers and their shrinking habitats across India. The court has set a timeline for the government to report back on the progress of these measures.
Indian Opinion Analysis
India is home to about 60% of the world's Asian elephants, but rapid development, mining, and railway lines have fragmented their habitats, leading to hundreds of human and elephant deaths annually. The court's intervention follows a 2023 report that elephant corridors have shrunk by 40% in the last decade. The key next step is the committee's deadline to submit a national plan within six months, which will determine whether states allocate funds for corridor restoration and compensation for crop damage. Failure could invite contempt proceedings.
Source: gulfnews.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
