Remove encroachments from Sathy Forest, PWD and Forest department told

A division bench comprising of Justice M Sathyanarayanan and Justice G K Ilanthiraiyan, on perusing a status report filed by the Forest Department in response to a public interest litigation moved in this regard said, “It appears from the status report that both the forest officials as well as the PWD are totally insensitive to the environment and ecological disasters which are happening right in front their eyes and it is high time that it should be set right by effective monitoring and proper follow-up action.”

“This Court is also of the view that the encroachers are in water spread area and though they claim that they are carrying on agricultural operations for quite a long time, no right has been created for them to put up solar fence to prevent the movement of the wild animals in respect of the area which is declared as reserve forest. It is also declared as an elephant corridor and a part of the Sathyamangalam forest,” the bench added.

The matter relates to the leasing of land under the water catchment area of the Bhavani Sagar Dam in Erode and Coimbatore districts to the landless and poor farmers of the region by a government order of Agriculture Department dated October 18, 1967. The pieces of land lie both in reserved forest area and water spread area as well as under the are that is vested with the PWD. 

The petitioner, Professor T Muruganathan, who moved the PIL contended that after the Forest Conservation Act in 1980 came into force, forest land cannot be legally leased out for cultivation or any other non-forestry activities. But the practice of farming on the forest areas by encroachers continue till date, which is unlawful and illegal, he said. The petitioner further submitted that though the land was leased out to the small farmers, the cultivation is being carried out by wealthy cultivators and mafias by erecting solar powered fences to keep away animals.

However, the bench on expressing surprise that the forest department which is supposed to be the custodian and guardian of the reserve forest has taken a contrary stand and it is not as if they are powerless to prevent such kind of irregularities, directed the Erode police to extend maximum help and co-operation to enable them to remove the solar fence put up by the people who are said to be encroachers. The next hearing in this case will be on July 25.