SC pulls up MoEF on elephant deaths

The Supreme Court on Tuesday pulled up the ministry of environment and forests for “remaining in happy slumber” and not taking steps to stop casualty of elephants in train accidents and summoned its secretary to give an explanation. A bench of justices Dipak Mishra and Vikramajit Sen also slammed the West Bengal government for allegedly deciding to sterilise tuskers, saying it is a “regressive and condemnable” step and restrained the state from resorting to such action. The bench expressed concern over the depletion of elephants due to their death in train accidents and said that only railways alone cannot determine about their safety which is the obligation of the MoEF.