Delhi High Court Restrains Forest Department From Conducting Proposed 'Walkathon' Inside Asola Bhati Wildlife Sanctuary

The Delhi High Court on Thursday restrained the city forest department from conducting a “Walkathon” event proposed to be held inside the city's Asola Bhati Wildlife Sanctuary, till further orders.

“The respondents are restrained from conducting the proposed event till further orders,” Justice Jasmeet Singh said while pronouncing the order.

The court had reserved verdict in the matter on December 05. 

Justice Singh had expressed concern about the safety of the people during the event amid the presence of leopards there.

The court had asked the city forest department as to how it could expose people to such a risk by organizing the event inside the wildlife sanctuary when the department is not aware of the whereabouts of the leopards.

“How do you expose people to that? You don't know about their [leopards'] whereabouts. You are hoping that they are shy animals. You are hoping that this [sanctuary] is not an area where they will come. This kind of an adventure cannot be,” Justice Singh haf orally told the forest department's counsel.

The counsel appearing for the forest department had submitted that the Walkathon is being organized on the existing tracks and took the court through the proposal of the event, including the number of people allowed to participate.

Amici Curiae Advocates Gautam Narayan and Aditya N Prasad had referred to recent news reports stating that a leopard had been escaped and was spotted in the Sainik Farms area.

Narayan had told court that the wildlife sanctuary houses various wild animals like hyena and other snakes like pythons. He said that the people participating in the event will be entering the protected zone where the flora and fauna are flourishing in the sanctuary.

After hearing the submissions of both sides, the court had reserved its judgment in a plea concerning the issue of conservation of the Southern Ridge and removal of encroachments from there.

Earlier, the court had asked the forest department to show as to how the decision was taken to organise the event in question inside the sanctuary, observing it was not Masai Mara or Serengeti.

The forest department's counsel had then assured the court that the decision was taken at the highest level and that the event was aimed at introducing and creating awareness amongst people about the flora and fauna present in the sanctuary.

Also Read: Safaris And Public Entries In Sanctuaries Must Be Minutely Worked Out To Ensure Balance Between Eco-Tourism And Wildlife Protection: Delhi High Court

Title: Divender v. LG of Delhi

Citation: 2023 LiveLaw (Del) 1242