Gujarat HC asks state to submit data on safety of lions

dna Correspondent Updated: Jun 14, 2018, 03:17 AM IST

Asiatic Lions Government report stated that 184 lions had died in 2016 and 2017A division bench of the Gujarat HC headed by Chief Justice R Subhash Reddy on Wednesday sought further details of the steps taken by the state to ensure safety of lions.

The bench sought details about number of open wells in and around areas where lions are found; the number of wells that have been fenced; the subsidy given to farmers for building a fence around the well or covering it up; how many farmers have taken benefit of the subsidy as well as the steps taken by the government to create awareness about its subsidy programme for fencing open wells.
The bench sought the details after the state filed a reply about the steps it had taken to protect the lions in Gujarat.
The state's reply came after the High Court in March 2018 took suo motu cognisance of news reports about the government's disclosure in the Assembly that 184 lions had died in 2016 and 2017. Of these, 32 had died of unnatural causes.
It should be noted that Gir is the last abode of the Asiatic lions in the world.
The court also asked about the railway lines that were yet to be fenced and how long before they would be fenced. The court observed that some areas, through which the railway lines passed in Pipavav, were not chianfenced.
Observing that out of 260 km, only 81 km had been covered, it asked how long it would take for the fencing to be completed. To the amicus curiae Hemang Shah's observation that creating chain fence along railway lines may also end up cutting off the lions from their territories, the court also ought to know the type of chain fencing being used.
The government pleader said the lions numbers had risen from a mere 70 in the 1970s to over 500 and this posed challenges as adult lions claimed a territory of at least 4 km to 5 km and hence were now spreading beyond the sanctuary limits.
"Sometimes, the lions also fight each other for territories and this also leads to death," the government pleader said. To this, the court reiterated "In spite of all this, we have to take care of them."
The court also observed that all the steps taken by the government were measures taken before 2016 (the year preceding the disclosure in the Assembly) and asked what other steps it had taken.

LIONS KILLED ON ROADS

The division bench of Gujarat HC also sought the number of lions that were victims of road kills. The court sought list of the roads, which saw highest accident of lions and what steps the government planned to take to prevent lions from becoming victims of road kills. It also sought details of roads in and around lion population where vehicular movement was prohibited.

http://www.dnaindia.com/ahmedabad/report-gujarat-hc-asks-state-to-submit-data-on-safety-of-lions-2625172