Ahmedabad, The Gujarat government has set up a high-level committee to formulate modalities for unhindered movement of Asiatic lions in and around the Gir sanctuary area to protect them from railway accidents, the High Court said on Wednesday.
After three lions were run over and killed by trains on the tracks in January, a division bench of Chief Justice Sunita Agarwal ordered the Ministry of Railways and the Gujarat Forest and Environment Department to form a joint committee to develop SOP (standard operating procedure) to protect lions.
When the suo motu PIL on the death of the lions came up for hearing on Wednesday, Additional Advocate General Manisha Lav Kumar informed the division bench of Chief Justice Sunita Agarwal that a committee had been constituted and a hearing had been held. of meetings.
The committee comprises senior officials of the state forest department and Indian Railways.
The Additional Advocate General also stated that a high-level inquiry was carried out to fix the duties of officials of the forest department and Western Railways at the divisional level as mandated by the apex court. She said the joint progress report will be presented in another two weeks.
The high court directed the Railways and the forest department to file a joint progress report affidavit and kept the matter for further hearing on July 12.
The HC had earlier directed the two respondents (Gujarat Railways and Forest Department) to ensure that the lions do not face any obstacles while roaming in and around the Gir sanctuary area and that no accidents take place on the railway tracks. train that involved them.
The court had ordered constitution of an inquiry committee to probe the role of senior officials of Western Railway and forest department in connection with the death of lions on railway tracks.
The court also sought a report on the status of the decision to convert the tracks on the Amreli-Khijadiya stretch from metric to broad gauge.
The authorities had stated in their affidavits that the railway track passes through forest areas as well as places between Pipavav port, Rajula crossing and Surendranagar lion corridor.
After three lions were run over and killed by trains on the tracks in January, a division bench of Chief Justice Sunita Agarwal ordered the Ministry of Railways and the Gujarat Forest and Environment Department to form a joint committee to develop SOP (standard operating procedure) to protect lions.
When the suo motu PIL on the death of the lions came up for hearing on Wednesday, Additional Advocate General Manisha Lav Kumar informed the division bench of Chief Justice Sunita Agarwal that a committee had been constituted and a hearing had been held. of meetings.
The committee comprises senior officials of the state forest department and Indian Railways.
The Additional Advocate General also stated that a high-level inquiry was carried out to fix the duties of officials of the forest department and Western Railways at the divisional level as mandated by the apex court. She said the joint progress report will be presented in another two weeks.
The high court directed the Railways and the forest department to file a joint progress report affidavit and kept the matter for further hearing on July 12.
The HC had earlier directed the two respondents (Gujarat Railways and Forest Department) to ensure that the lions do not face any obstacles while roaming in and around the Gir sanctuary area and that no accidents take place on the railway tracks. train that involved them.
The court had ordered constitution of an inquiry committee to probe the role of senior officials of Western Railway and forest department in connection with the death of lions on railway tracks.
The court also sought a report on the status of the decision to convert the tracks on the Amreli-Khijadiya stretch from metric to broad gauge.
The authorities had stated in their affidavits that the railway track passes through forest areas as well as places between Pipavav port, Rajula crossing and Surendranagar lion corridor.
