Restriction of vehicles via STR: HC rejects plea to modify order

CHENNAI: Observing that the natural resources of Tamil Nadu could not be allowed to get spoiled, the Madras High Court on Wednesday dismissed a writ miscellaneous petition filed for modifying an April order of the HC imposing restrictions on vehicular movements through the Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve (STR).

The first bench of Chief Justice Munishwar Nath Bhandari and Justice D Bharatha Chakravarthy dismissed the plea by Satyamangalam Lorry Owners Association. The petitioner prayed to modify the order so that the lorries could take essentials and goods.

However, the bench rejected the contentions on the ground that even before the court passed an order in this connection, the state had issued a GO to restrict vehicular movements in the STR stretch. “Meghamalai in Tamil Nadu’s Theni district is looking like Switzerland. We could not allow the natural resources and water bodies of the state to get spoiled, ” CJ MN Bhandari noted.

On April 6, 2022, the first bench passed an order to the state government to implement vehicular restrictions on Bannari – Karappallam NH stretch connecting Coimbatore and Bengaluru through STR. The judges passed the order on disposing of a plea by wildlife activist and advocate SP Chockalingam. The petitioner sought directions to implement a night travel ban through the STR.

Therefore, the HC, in its order, held that no vehicle which has 12 wheels and above shall be permitted to enter Dhimbam Ghat Road. “Also, no truck or trailer, with a total weight of 16.2 tonnes and above will be permitted into the Ghat Road. The other vehicles will be permitted to use the road and they should proceed only with the maximum speed limit of 30 km/hr in the plain and 20 km/hr in the ghat portion only from 6 AM to 6 pm,” the April 6 order of the Madras HC read.