Anushka Mansharamani
The High Court of Uttarakhand took suo moto cognizance of the Shivalik Elephant Reserve.
The High Court issued a notification to the Centre and the State governments regarding the same.
The notification was passed by acting Chief Justice Ravi Malimath and Justice Alok Kumar Verma.
The Court gave the respondent one month’s time to file their counter-affidavits and listed the matter for hearing after the winter vacation.
The Shivalik Elephant Reserve in Uttarakhand’s only elephant reserve and was notified in 2002 through a government order.
The state government in 2020 de-notified the reserve regarding the expansion of the Jolly Grant Airport in Dehradun.
80 environmentalists came forward and wrote a letter against the de-notification to the Chief Justice.
Uttarakhand High Court then (after the letter) took cognizance and issued a notice.
The Uttarakhand wildlife board had made a recommendation for the de-notification of the Reserve.
This decision was taken by the board chaired by Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat during the 16th meeting that took place on 24th November 2020.
As per the ANI, in 2002 then Congress government had notified nearly 5,400 square kms of forest land falling under 14 forest divisions as Shivalik Elephant Reserve.