Madras High Court Issues Crucial Directive: Immediate Relocation of 495 Families Near Tiger Sanctuary for Animal Safety

A significant ruling from the Madras High Court has mandated the swift evacuation and rehousing of a village located adjacent to a tiger sanctuary. The court’s decision, delivered by a special forest bench comprising Justices N Sathish Kumar and D Bharata Chakraborty, emphasizes that animals also possess the right to a life free from fear. The court further asserted that it is the government’s legal obligation to safeguard all forms of life.

In a specific directive, the court instructed the central government to allocate funds to the national tiger conservation authority within the ensuing two months, facilitating the relocation of villagers. The village in question, Tengumarahada in Tamil Nadu, rests alongside the Muthumalai Tiger Sanctuary and is home to 495 families. The financial requirement for this relocation amounts to 74.25 crore from the central fund. Additionally, the Tamil Nadu Forest Department is expected to receive this allocation within the designated two-month timeframe. Criticism was directed at the central government for its failure to provide funds for the evacuation of the villagers. The court’s ruling, announced on August 8, alluded to a proposal made by the Tamil Nadu Forest Department in 2011 to relocate the inhabitants of Muthumalai, which, however, was not executed due to a scarcity of funds.