HC takes serious note of black bucks deaths near Akbar's tomb

The Allahabad High Court today took a serious note of deaths of black bucks in the area around the tomb of Mughal Emperor Akbar at Agra and asked the wildlife authorities in Uttar Pradesh to take necessary steps in coordination with the Centre

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A division bench comprising Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and Justice P K S Baghel ordered that a "general inspection" of the area be carried out by a team comprising the state's Chief Wildlife Warden, an officer of the National Board for Wildlife and one representative each of the Union Ministry for Environment and Forests and the Archaeological Survey of India.

The court also directed that the state's Chief Wildlife Warden to thereafter prepare a "perspective plan" in consultation with the National Board for Wildlife and submit it within six weeks.

Fixing December 12 as the next date of hearing in the matter, the court ordered that in the meantime, there should be "periodical visits" of veterinary doctors to ensure the health and safety of black bucks, which have been declared an endangered species.

The order was passed on a public interest litigation filed by one Ghanshyam Singh who had alleged that black bucks were dying due to neglect at Sikandra, a suburb of Agra, especially in the garden which surrounds the tomb of Akbar.