PILs against tourism in tiger reserves

Two public interest litigation petitions have been filed in the Madras High Court Bench here — one challenging a notification issued by the Centre on October 15, laying down guidelines for tourism activities around tiger reserves, and another to quash separate proceedings issued by the State Forest Department on February 18, permitting tourism-related activities at Kalakkad-Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve in Tirunelveli district.

SWASAM Trust, a non-governmental organisation represented by its managing trustee S. Ramesh, had filed both the petitions through its counsel T. Lajapathi Roy.

The trust claimed that permitting tourism-related activities in and around tiger reserves would defeat the object of ‘Project Tiger,’ a scheme implemented by the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests since 1973 for ensuring a viable population of tiger in the country for scientific, economic, aesthetic, cultural and ecological values.

Claiming that he was one among the members of a Local Advisory Committee for Kalakkad-Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve, Mr. Ramesh said that the Chief Conservator of Forests and Field Director of the Reserve had erred in issuing the February 18 notification permitting tourists to enjoy boating in Karaiyar Dam and drive their vehicles up to upper Kodayar area. He contended that both the activities would prove disastrous to the wildlife and ecosystem in the Reserve.

“Allowing vehicles inside the core area would affect breeding of tiger population.”

Source: http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-tamilnadu/pils-against-tourism-in-tiger-reserves/article4477495.ece

HC tells Himachal govt to ban cookies, chips in polythene packs

The Himachal Pradesh High Court has directed the state government to ban sale of ‘junk food’ in non bio-degradable packs from April 1 but exempted essential items like edible oil and milk from the ban.

A Division Bench of Justices Deepak Gupta and Sanjay Karool directed that the list of non-essential items (junk food), identified by committee set up by the High Court, are not to be sold in non-biodegradable packing. The items included chips, wafers, biscuits, namkeen, candy, chewing gum, ice cream, chocolates, noodles, sugary cereals, among other items.

“We are not in any manner issuing directions that such items are banned because that is not within the purview of the court but if we follow the law enacted by the state (Himachal) Pradesh Non-Biodegradable (Control) Act, 1995, the least we can do is to direct that these harmful items, which are classified as junk foods, if sold in the state in packing condition should be sold only in bio-degradable packing,” the judges said.

The Bench proposed use of options such as tetra packs, tin packing or biodegradable plastic of 20 micro metre thickness is proposed.

The Bench, however, said the list of food items identified for the ban is not final.

Source: http://www.indianexpress.com/news/HC-tells-Himachal-govt-to-ban-cookies--chips-in-polythene-packs/1059361/