New Delhi: Recognizing the significance of tigers in maintaining a healthy ecosystem, the Supreme Court has mandated the formation of a committee to address the harm caused by illegal construction and tree cutting within the Corbett Tiger Reserve.

The court has instructed the Ministry of Forest, Environment, and Climate Change to establish this committee, which will evaluate the environmental impact on the reserve and determine the cost for restoration.

Comprising Justices BR Gavai, Prashant Kumar Mishra, and Sandeep Mehta, the three-judge Bench emphasized that the committee should deliberate on allowing tiger safaris in buffer or fringe areas and establish corresponding guidelines.

Moreover, the committee is tasked with identifying individuals or officials responsible for the damage and ensuring that the incurred costs for restoration are recovered from them.

To ensure comprehensive representation, the committee will include members from the National Tiger Conservation Authority, the Wildlife Institute of India, Central Empowered Committee, and an officer from the environment ministry as its secretary.

Quoting from the 'Mahabharata,' the apex court underscored the interdependence of tigers and forests, emphasizing that protecting one entails safeguarding the other.

The court stressed the imperative of protecting tigers to preserve the entire ecosystem revolving around them and directed the committee to propose permissible and prohibited activities within buffer zones and fringe areas.

In promoting tourism, the court emphasized eco-tourism and urged construction in harmony with the natural environment. Additionally, the committee is tasked with recommending the number and type of resorts permitted near protected areas and imposing restrictions to ensure their ecological management.

Moreover, the committee will propose measures for noise regulation and effective management and protection of Tiger Reserves nationwide.

The court's ruling stems from a petition filed by environmental activist and lawyer Gaurav Bansal, citing destruction of tiger habitats and a decline in tiger density in the Lansdowne Forest Division due to illegal activities in the Pakhro Tiger Safari and unauthorized tree felling.

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