Corbett Tiger Reserve

Repair damage to Corbett Tiger Reserve: Supreme Court to Uttarakhand

The Court has asked Uttarakhand to remove illegal structures, restore habitats and enforce strict safari and tourism rules after major violations in Corbett

SC directs Uttarakhand govt to take steps to restore Corbett Tiger Reserve

The Supreme Court on Monday directed the Uttarakhand government to undertake restoration measures to undo the damage, including felling of trees and illegal constructions, in the Jim Corbett Tiger Reserve. Issuing a slew of directions, a bench headed by Chief Justice of India (CJI) B R Gavai directed the chief wildlife warden to work in consultation with the apex court-appointed Central Empowered Committee to ensure demolition of all unauthorised structures within three months. "The CEC shall supervise the ecological restoration plan developed by Uttarakhand," the bench directed. It directed the state government to undertake measures to compensate for the illegal tree felling. "If tourism has to be promoted, it has to be eco-tourism," the CJI said while pronouncing the judgement. "We have directed special treatment to those working in the core area away from their families," he said. The state of Uttarakhand is directed to restore and repair the ecological damage caused to the Co

SC raps Uttarakhand govt for 'snail's pace' action on Corbett illegalities

The Supreme Court on Wednesday pulled up the Uttarakhand government for moving at a "snail's pace" against its senior officers accused of illegal constructions in Corbett Tiger Reserve. While ordering for the departmental proceedings to be concluded within three months, a bench of Justices B R Gavai and Augustine George Masih deprecated the state's practice of moving speedily against junior level officers but not against the senior officers. It noted an affidavit of the state elaborated on the departmental proceedings initiated against the officers. Referring to a chart placed before it, the court said the departmental proceedings were completed against 16 of the 17 officers who were in the rank of ranger, deputy ranger, etc. However, one of the officials died in a road accident unfortunately, it added. The bench said another chart indicated the proceedings moving at a snail's pace against senior officers. "We, therefore, direct the state government to conclude all the department

No evidence of conspiracy in Bandhavgarh elephant deaths, says official

A high-level team sent by Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav to the Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve (BTR) following the death of 10 elephants has not come across any conspiracy theory, one of its members said. The team comprising MP Minister of State for Forest Pradeep Ahirwar, Additional Chief Secretary Ashok Baranwal and head of Forest Force Aseem Shrivastava on Saturday visited the site inside the reserve where the jumbos died. Four wild elephants were found dead at Sankhani and Bakeli under the BTR's Khitoli range on October 29. Four more pachyderms died on October 30 and two the next day. According to wildlife expert Ajay Dubey, never before have 10 elephants died within a 72-hour period in the country. The autopsy of the carcasses has pointed to toxicity along with huge quantities of kodo millets in their stomachs, as per officials. The Union Environment Ministry has said that the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB) has set up a team to investigate the elephant deaths. Th

The hidden cost of India's tiger reserves: Loss of tribal rights

Tribal communities bear the brunt of conservation policies 50 years after a key programme on tiger conservation was launched

Illegal construction in Corbett: SC raps ex-U'khand forest minister Rawat

The Supreme Court on Wednesday came down heavily on former Uttarakhand forest minister and Congress leader Harak Singh Rawat and ex-divisional forest officer Kishan Chand for allowing illegal construction and felling of trees in the Corbett tiger reserve. This is a case where bureaucrats and politicians have thrown public trust doctrine in the waste bin, said a bench headed by Justice B R Gavai. The apex court directed the CBI, which is already probing the case, to file its status report in the matter within three months. "They (Rawat and Chand) have in blatant disregard of the law and for commercial purposes indulged in mass felling of trees to construct buildings in the pretext of promotion of tourism," the bench said. The top court said it was amazed at the audacity of Rawat and Chand in giving statutory provisions a total go by. It also formed a committee to look into whether tiger safaris can be permitted in buffer or fringe areas of national parks in the country. The Enforc

Supreme Court bans tiger safari at Jim Corbett, slams illegal constructions

The SC has asked the CBI to submit a status report on the matter in three months

NGT asks Environment ministry to report on illegal trees felling in Corbett

The National Green Tribunal has directed the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change to file an action-taken report on the alleged illegal felling of 6,000 trees in the Corbett Tiger Reserve in Uttrakhand's Kalagarh Tiger Reserve Division. The green panel was hearing a matter in which it had initiated suo motu (on its own) proceedings based on a media report on the illegal felling of trees. The Forest Survey of India was asked to assess the status of illegally felled trees, the report had claimed. A bench of Chairperson Justice A K Goel said that according to the report of an earlier constituted panel, the cutting of trees was illegal and the process of restoration required constructions made without the approval of the Centre to be removed. But the state government's principal secretary submitted that the construction does not require the Union government's approval. The bench, also comprising Judicial Member Justice Sudhir Agarwal and Expert Member A Senthil Vel,

Uttarakhand tourism department to develop 'Modi circuit' at Corbett reserve

The Uttarakhand tourism department is working on a plan to develop a "Modi circuit" at the Corbett Tiger Reserve, covering the places visited by PM Modi while shooting for a TV programme in 2019

CAG seeks documents related to financial irregularities at Jim Corbett

The Comptroller and Auditor General of India has sought documents related to alleged financial irregularities in the Kalagarh and Lansdowne forest divisions of the Corbett Tiger Reserve

Illegal construction in Corbett Tiger Reserve, top IFS officers suspended

State Forest Minister Subodh Uniyal said appropriate action may soon be taken against some more forest officials in connection with the irregularities in the Corbett Tiger Reserve

It's a dog's life for Sher Khan as humans mess up Corbett Tiger Reserve

Anjuli Bhargava morphs into a big cat and finds out how difficult it is to survive as one at the once-iconic habitat

Corbett Tiger Reserve comes alive in the peak of summer

The monkeys can't take their eyes off the snake, and are all standing on alert overhead

Into the forest

Geetanjali Krishna goes on an eco-friendly excursion near the Corbett Tiger Reserve