G.THIRUMURUGAN Vs. UNION OF INDIA

JUDGEMENT

(1.) This writ petition has been filed in public interest to ban grazing of domesticated cattle inside the Megamalai Wildlife Division and Sanctuary.

(2.) The Megamalai Wildlife Division and Sanctuary, originally notified as a "Reserved Forest" in the year 2009, subsequently, has been notified as "Wildlife Sanctuary" in the year 2011, and recently in the year 2021, it was declared as a "Tiger Reserve", namely, Srivilliputhur-Megamalai Tiger Reserve.

(3.) According to the petitioner, group of cattle owners living in Theni District and other places nearby the Tiger Reserve are letting their quadrupeds for grazing inside the forest area for months together, thereby causing degradation of the forest. The respondents, forest as well as the revenue authorities, are indiscriminately issuing grazing passes to those persons, and the cattle grazers misusing the same, letting in a large number of cattle into the forest illegally. The authorities are also not taking any step to prevent the same and permitting domesticated cattle inside the forest for commercial purposes.