Action taken against 42 illegal resorts inside Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve, Tamil Nadu govt tells Madras high court

CHENNAI: At least 42 resorts have been found to be functioning within the eco-sensitive zone of the Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve (STR) in Erode district without licence, the Tamil Nadu govt told Madras high court, adding that suitable enforcement action is being taken against them.

The state forest department made the submission in response to a public interest litigation filed by R Karpagam of Coimbatore, seeking action against illegal resorts and farmhouses run in the STR.

Eleven other resorts have valid permissions, and the department is in the process of taking action against all the other left-out resorts/farmhouses in the area, special govt pleader (forests) T Seenivasan told the first bench of Chief Justice Sushrut Arvind Dharmadhikari and Justice G Arul Murugan.

Granting three weeks for the govt to take further action in respect of other resorts and file a status report by April 7, the bench said: “It is made clear that if any action is contemplated against the illegal resorts, it is for the person concerned to approach the appellate authority against the notices issued. In the event of any appeal being filed before the statutory appellate authority, it is for the appellate authority to consider the appeal on its own merits without reference to the pendency of this writ petition.”

A report filed by the Erode district collector stated that the law requires that proper licences/permissions should be obtained before raising any construction in the eco-sensitive zone of the reserve. The report stated that an inspection had been carried out by a joint inspection team in 53 resorts, lodges, and farmhouses, of which only 11 buildings were found to have been constructed with building permissions/licences and the remaining 42 were found to be functioning without licences.

Representing the petitioner, advocate S P Chockalingam submitted that there are still several resorts which have been listed out by him in the affidavit filed, where action is yet to be taken.