The Delhi High Court, on Thursday, issued a restraining order against the forest department’s organization of the “Walk with Wildlife” walkathon and cyclothon scheduled for this week at Asola Bhatti Wildlife Sanctuary. Concerns were raised about the potential threat to participants from leopards in the sanctuary. Amicus curiae Gautam Narayan and Aditya Prasad highlighted the sanctuary’s diverse wildlife, including pythons, hyenas, and snakes, arguing against permitting human access.
Justice Jasmeet Singh delivered the order, expressing concerns about the department’s lack of knowledge regarding the leopards’ whereabouts and the potential risks to participants. The court emphasized that exposing people to potential harm from wildlife, especially when the department lacked information about the leopards, was unacceptable. The forest department had failed to produce the original files related to the event proposal, as directed by the court.
The forest department argued that the event adhered to statutory requirements and was organized on a 16-km track within the sanctuary, accessible with permission. However, amicus curiae stressed the need to protect the sanctuary’s wildlife and highlighted the absence of a clear demarcation between core areas exclusive to animals and buffer zones for tourists.
Deputy forest conservator Mandeep Mittal stated that the concept of core and buffer zones was not applicable to the small Asola Bhatti Sanctuary. The court expressed dissatisfaction with the department’s failure to differentiate between core and buffer zones and emphasized the importance of not exposing people to potential risks from wildlife.
Justice Singh questioned Mittal about the number of leopards in the sanctuary, the demarcation of core and buffer zones, and the department’s readiness to handle the situation. The court underscored the gravity of the situation and criticized the lack of organization in dealing with wildlife protection, citing the recent leopard sighting in Delhi’s Sainik Farms as an example.
