No plan to denotify sanctuary area until nod: Tamil Nadu government to High Court

The Madras High Court was on Thursday informed by the Tamil Nadu government that it has only sent a proposal to the central wildlife board to denotify a portion of Vedanthangal Bird Sanctuary for commercial and industrial development.

It would not proceed with the denotification without the approval of the board, the government said in its submission on public interest litigation challenging the move to benefit commercial and industrial development.

Recording the submission, the First Bench of Chief Justice AP Sahi and Justice Senthilkumar Ramamoorthy directed the petitioner to approach the central board for any relief and disposed of the plea.

According to Petitioner S Stalin Raja, the move has been made to benefit commercial and industrial development, including that of Sun Pharmaceuticals which has operations bordering the sanctuary, located about 75 km from here.

"While the state and its forest department is duty-bound to protect all wildlife sanctuaries in its jurisdiction, the Tamil Nadu government is trying to give away a portion of the 72-acre irrigation tank preserved by the local villagers as a heronry and bird sanctuary since the year 1790 for private industrial development, he had said.

Since 1998, the Vedanthangal tank and the area within 5 km of its boundary have been a part of the sanctuary with full protection of Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.

But on January 23, 2020, the Tamil Nadu government, relying on notes put up by the principal chief conservator of forest and chief wildlife warden, tabled a proposal with the state wildlife board to de-notify an area within three km of the tank, he added.