Governance

Daily Court Digest: Major environment orders (September 15, 2022)

Down To Earth brings you the top environmental cases heard in the Supreme Court, the high courts and the National Green Tribunal 

 
By DTE Staff
Published: Friday 16 September 2022
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Do not inflict harm on community dogs: Kerala HC

While it is the duty of the state to protect its citizens from the attack of ferocious dogs, the public must also refrain from inflicting unnecessary harm on community dogs, the Kerala high court said September 14, 2022.

The state is obliged to protect the citizens from the attack of ferocious dogs by identifying and containing such dogs and removing them from public places. 

The amicus curiae pointed out that there have also been reports of various instances of unauthorised killing of community dogs. 

The HC directed the government of Kerala to issue public instructions to be issued through the state police chief clarifying that the citizenry shall refrain from taking law into their own hands by inflicting unnecessary harm on community dogs.

The HC talked about the various orders passed by the court, particularly the order dated August 2, 2021, wherein Thrikkakara municipality was directed to identify areas within its geographical limits where the community dogs could be rehabilitated and sheltered. 

The court also mentioned its order dated October 29, 2021. The State Animal Welfare Board was directed, in this order, to assess the infrastructural facilities available within the territorial limits of all local authorities in the state. These facilities will be used for carrying out animal birth control measures and to suggest measures for the augmentation of such facilities under each of those local authorities. 

The Kerala high court July 8, 2022 directed the state Animal Welfare Board to publish the list of veterinary hospitals having night emergency services available on its website and to collect the telephone numbers of each of these centres and ensure that the hospitals were functioning round-the-clock.

Set up committee for Kumbhalgarh Wildlife Sanctuary: SC 

The Supreme Court directed the Government of Rajasthan September 13, 2022 to constitute a committee for Kumbhalgarh Wildlife Sanctuary in Rajsamand district, Rajasthan. 

The state was directed to suggest the composition of an expert-cum-monitoring committee comprising officers and experts from the concerned departments for the purpose of environmental protection and to prevent the encroachment of the eco-sensitive zone of the sanctuary. 

The proposal has to be presented before the court within four weeks.

Illegal slaughter houses in Haveri district

The Karnataka high court directed the deputy  commissioner of Haveri district to take action in accordance with law regarding the illegal slaughter houses in the district. 

The additional government advocate has submitted that suitable action will be taken. 

Illegal mining-affected land restored in Shimla

Divisional forest officer (rural) of Shimla district, Himachal Pradesh in its report to the National Green Tribunal September 15, 2022 said that the land of Gurdayal Singh, village Kothi, tehsil Sunni, district Shimla impacted by unscientific mining and quarrying has been restored. 

The miner, Ramesh Verma, had deposited Rs 5 lakh for carrying out restoration work of Singh’s land.

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