Chennai wildlife activist approaches HC against Isha Foundations

CHENNAI: A Chennai-based wildlife activist has approached the Madras High Court for a direction to the state government to remove the alleged encroachments made by the Isha Foundation on the elephant corridors in the Coimbatore district.

The first bench of Acting Chief Justice T Raja and Justice D Krishnakumar adjourned the matter to November 28 for further hearings.

According to the petitioner, there is a spike in the deaths of humans and elephants post the construction of the Adhi Yogi statue.

“Isha is culpable of hurting Hindu sentiments by conducting a disco and making cine actors dance for movie songs on Shivratri nights. It is polluting the area and disturbing wildlife with high decibel sound conducting a daily ‘Adhi Yogi’ laser show, being just 100 meters away from the forest. Being a Hindu religious organization and not respecting Wild, Wildlife and the Environment,” the petitioner submitted.

The petitioner also pointed out that the Coimbatore region has the maximum human-elephant conflict in the whole of India. In a decade, more than 160 elephants and 150 people have died and 100 plus have been injured severely due to the conflict.

The petitioner filed his petition to implead him as one of the respondents in the case filed by the Isha foundation. The organization has challenged the notice of the state government for taking action against Isha for making constructions without obtaining mandatory environmental clearance.