Demolish ashram in Tungareshwar Wildlife Sanctuary: SC to state govt
MUMBAI: The Supreme Court has ordered the state government to demolish the Balayogi Shree Sadanand Maharaj Ashram inside the Tungareshwar Wildlife Sanctuary (TWLS), 15 years after environmentalists first complained about it being illegal.
The ashram was set up in 1977, when TWLS was still a reserved forest (it gained sanctuary status in 2003). It is now spread across 1.7 acres, and according to an interim application filed in January by an environmental group, has been “in violation of the provisions of the Forest Conservation Act, 1980 and the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 for over 30 years, by continuing to illegally encroach on forest land.”
The SC bench of justices Arun Mishra and Deepak Gupta, hearing the application, passed an order on May 7, ordering the state government to demolish the ashram “in accordance with law and inform this court on the next date of hearing. Let the order be complied with within eight weeks.”
The next date of hearing has been scheduled on July 22.
The first complaint in the SC against the ashram came in 2004 from the Bombay Environmental Action Group (BEAG). Subsequently, an apex court-appointed committee highlighted the environmental destruction caused by the ashram after carrying out inspections in 2008 and 2009.
The interim application was filed by Debi Goenka of Conservation Action Trust, after he carried out a site inspection with forest department officials on November 26, 2018. They found the sanctuary and surrounding forest area had witnessed landslides because the ashram was building structures and roads by blasting hills. “The large footfall of devotees and their vehicles were also disturbing the wildlife,” Goenka said.
“We are not aware of any court order directing demolition. This is a holy site where hundreds come and stay. Not a single plant or animal has been disturbed. We will challenge those who are against us,” K Kavle, resident and contact person for the Ashram.
The state forest department said the SC order will be complied with but it will be a challenging task. “We will be speaking to all government agencies and take people from the ashram into confidence before initiating demolition,” said MK Rao, additional principal chief conservator of forest (wildlife, west), who was part of the site inspection. “The ashram has the option of filing a review but everyone has to obey the SC’S order.”
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