Urban Ecology - The Legal Chamber

Conservation or Cruelty? Supreme Court Steps In to Save Delhi’s Deer From Faulty Relocation Plan

12Feb

By The Legal ChamberNo Comments

Supreme Court

Conservation or Cruelty? Supreme Court Steps In to Save Delhi’s Deer From Faulty Relocation Plan

The Supreme Court found prima facie violations of the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972, CZA norms, and IUCN translocation guidelines. It directed the Central Empowered Committee to conduct an independent scientific assessment of carrying capacity, post-release survival, and regulatory compliance. The Court prohibited further translocation pending expert evaluation, emphasizing constitutional duties under Articles 48A, 51A(g), and 21. Facts Of The Case: The A.N. Jha Deer Park, established in 1968 by the Delhi Development Authority in Hauz Khas, New Delhi, operated as a captive zoo facility under a license issued by the Central Zoo Authority under the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972. Despite repeated extensions and warnings, evaluation reports from 2014 to 2022 revealed persistent non-com...

Supreme Court Directs Statutory Protection for Delhi Ridge to Curb Encroachments

This Supreme Court judgment directs statutory reconstitution of the Delhi Ridge Management Board under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, to function as a single-window authority. It mandates the Board to ensure the protection, removal of encroachments, and ecological restoration of both the notified Ridge and the Morphological Ridge, with oversight by the Central Empowered Committee and the Supreme Court. Facts Of The Case: The case concerns the long-standing litigation over the protection and management of the Delhi Ridge, a vital ecological area within the National Capital Territory. The primary legal proceedings originate from Writ Petition (C) No. 202 of 1995 (T.N. Godavarman Thirumulpad v. Union of India) and connected matters. The Supreme Court was tasked with adjudicat...

Supreme Court Verdict on Delhi Ridge : DDA Must Pay for Environmental Damage in Delhi Ridge Case

The Supreme Court held the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) in contempt for wilfully disobeying its 1996 order prohibiting tree felling in the Delhi Ridge and for concealing this action from the court. The Court emphasized that such conduct obstructs the administration of justice and undermines the Rule of Law, necessitating remedial measures to purge the contempt. Facts Of The Case: This contempt petition before the Supreme Court of India stems from the Delhi Development Authority's (DDA) alleged wilful disobedience of the Court's 1996 order in M.C. Mehta v. Union of India, which mandated the preservation of the ecologically sensitive Delhi Ridge. The DDA sought approval for constructing approach roads to the Central Armed Police Forces Institute of Medical Sciences (CAPFIMS), entailin...