Madras High Court today dismissed a petition seeking a direction to authorities to restrain mingling of temple elephants with forest pachyderms in the rejuvenation camp at Thekkampatti in Coimbatore district.
"The measures taken by the Government in this case are to take care of well being of the elephants by holding the rejuvenation camp. It is a temporary measure. After 48 days, they will be relocated to their original places. Thus nothing has been gained by the petitioner in this case," the division bench comprising Justices N Paul Vasanthakumar and P Devadoss said.
S Jayachandran, an environmentalist had a PIL for a direction to the authorities of Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Department and Forest Department not to take camp elephants from Mudumalai Tiger Reserve and Annamalai Tiger Reserve to rejuvenation camp
Writing the Judgement Justice P Devadoss concurred with submissions of Advocate General A L Somayai and said the AG had repeatedly submitted that temple elephants and camp elephants have been segregated and separate arrangements had been made for both type of pachyderms and that the camp is intended for well being of elephants.
The bench said the petitioner's argument that no permission had been obtained to send the elephants to the rejuvenation camp has no substance, as necessary permission had already been obtained from the competent authority.
It said there is no illegality in having sent the camp elephants from Mudumalai Tiger Reserve and Annamalai Tiger Reserve to the rejuvenation camp and dismissed the petition.
The 48-day rejuvenation camp for elephants, belonging to various temples, mutts and forest department, began yesterday at a specially created place near Mettupalayam in the Coimbatore district.
