Weapons, drones might be used to protect tigers

The Telangana High Court on Thursday directed the Centre and the state government to extend their support to the Special Tiger Protection Force at the Kawal and Amrabad reserves and consider whether the personnel needed to be armed.

A division bench comprising Chief Justice Thottathil B. Radhakrishnan and Justice A. Rajasekher Reddy gave the direction while hearing a PIL on the killing of tigers in the Kawal reserve.

The bench impleaded the home secretary, collectors and SPs of Mancherial, Asifabad, Adilabad and Nirmal districts, the commissioner of prohibition and excise and chairman and managing director of TS Northern Power Distribution Company as respondents and directed them to extend support to curbing poaching.

On being summoned, principal chief conservator of Forests Prasanth Kumar and Kawal tiger reserve field director C. Saravanan appeared before the court and explained the ground realities.

Justice Radhakrishnan asked the officials what directions they wanted from the judiciary to safeguard the flora and fauna in the forests. When the officials stated their requirements, the court gave the direction regarding the Special Tiger Protection Force.

The bench directed the Kawal field director to lead the team comprising power, police, administration and prohibition and excise officials to dismantle all unauthorised electrical connections in the buffer and core area of the Kawal reserve.

The bench directed the northern discom to ensure that all electrical lines laid through the Kawal forest were insulated. It asked the government to decide whether it was appropriate to enable forest guards and other fulltime forest staff to use weapons to protect the forests. The CJ suggested the government consider providing facilities to use drones for surveillance.

THE CJ ORDERED officials to take up combing operations and other measures to ensure that there was no poaching.