Human-Wildlife Conflict: High Court forms five-member committee

KOCHI: The Kerala High Court constituted a five-member expert committee to report on the conflict between humans and wild animals in the populated areas adjacent to forests. The division bench constituted the committee from the panels provided by the government and amicus curiae. High Court Senior Advocate and Amicus Curiae Adv. S. Ramesh Babu is the convener. The other members are Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Vigilance and Forest Intelligence) G Pramod, former Add. Principal Chief Conservator OP Kaler, Dr M Ananthakumar of Nature Conservation Foundation and former Director of Kerala Forest Research Institute Dr PS Isa.

The division bench comprising Justice AK Jayasankaran Nambiar and Justice P Gopinath is hearing the matter in continuation of the petitions related to the shifting of rogue tusker Arikomban from Chinnakanal. The High Court will forward the reports of the committee to the government. The division bench also said that it will take a decision after considering the suggestions of the government. The honorarium of the non-government officials in the committee should be fixed by the forest department.

Responsibilities

• Should identify potential areas of conflict
• Should take long-term and short-term measures to solve the problem
• Supervision of task forces in Panchayats
• The report of the task forces should be submitted to the High Court