Madras HC for installing speed cameras on forest roads to save wild animals

A Division Bench of the Madras HC comprising Justice V Bharathidasan and N Sathish Kumar has made this recommendation on hearing a batch of petitions seeking direction to the state to implement the order restricting the movement of the vehicles on Sathyamangalam-Dhimbam forest road during night hours.

“As the speeding of vehicles pose a threat to the lives of the forest animals, traffic monitoring cameras shall be installed on the forest roads to monitor the speed of the vehicles. The government shall catch the offenders and penalties could be imposed on them,” the bench observed while Dheeraj Kumar IAS, principal secretary to the highways department, Shekar Neeraj, principal wildlife warden and H Krishnan Unni had virtually appeared before the judges.

Erode Collector informed the judges that the district administration has passed an order in 2019 to restrict vehicle movements on the Sathyamangalam–Dhimbam Road during night hours from 6 pm to 6 am.

On recording the submissions, the judges observed that ambulances and local people shall be allowed during the night hours on the road. “In this regard, the state highways, forest and district administration shall conduct a meeting within February 18, 2022 and a report shall be filed before the court in February,” the Bench directed.