CHENNAI: The Madras High Court (MHC) has directed the State to strictly implement the regulations to prohibit littering in the Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve (STR) during the Maasi Magam festival at Aadhi Karuvannarayar Bomma Devar templeand the court also restrained the night stays of devotees in the forest.
A Public Interest Litigation (PIL) has been filed by R Karpagam seeking to direct the State to prohibit the usage of plastics and littering waste in the Sathyamangalam Tiger reserve during the Maasi Magam festival every year near Thengumarahada.
The case was listed before the first division bench comprising Chief Justice SV Gangapurwala and Justice D Bharatha Chakravarthy.
The counsel for the petitioner contended that the principal chief conservator of the forest and the National Tiger Reserve Authority were not regulating the devotees during the Maasi Magam.
The devotees coming to the festival are littering in the reserve forest, cooking in the forest, and indulging in activities that would endanger the wildlife, submitted the counsel.
Some of the devotees are staying in the forest and polluting the forest including the Moyar river, the crocodiles in the river facing threats by the activities of the devotees, said the counsel.
The State is not monitoring the situation and not regulating the devotees as per guidelines only 29 vehicles should be allowed, whereas during the festival several thousand vehicles were allowed, he added.
The government pleader (GP) P Muthukumar submitted that every year the State commences meeting with stakeholders and regulating the devotees during the festival.
The GP also said that only 100 vehicles were allowed during the festival and the State is implementing the regulations to protect the forest.
The temple management has submitted an affidavit stating that they are safeguarding the environment and restraining the activities of devotees that endanger the forest and wildlife species.
After the submission, the bench restrained the devotees from night staying in the forest.
Further, the bench also directed the State to implement the regulations strictly and directed the Chief Conservator of Forest and National Tiger Conservation Authority to submit the status report and posted the matter to March 15 for further submission.