Collectors asked to implement High Court order on the use of power fencing stringently

COIMBATORE The Environment, Climate Change and Forests Department has instructed District Collectors

The Environment, Climate Change and Forests Department has instructed District Collectors to implement orders issued by the Madras High Court in 2009 on the use of electric fencing around agriculture lands “in a stringent manner” in the absence of guidelines from the State government.

Based on instructions from Supriya Sahu, Additional Chief Secretary, Environment, Climate Change and Forests, the Special Secretary (Forests) sent letters, dated February 28, to Collectors of 13 districts and the Chief Engineer of the Agriculture Engineering Department, Chennai.

The letter asked the officials to follow certain procedures ordered by the High Court. As per the court order, they should publish a notice in newspapers, asking people living in their jurisdiction to obtain post-facto approval within a month of the solar power fencing, if already erected. The notice should be carried in two local newspapers, one in English and another in Tamil, intimating local panchayats so as to give information to the persons concerned.

While asking for such an approval, the persons should be asked to give the details of design and supply of the solar power fencing system that they had erected. They should specify the voltage used in the solar power fencing and how they regulate the voltage.

“If no application is filed within the time frame, on receipt of such application and taking into consideration the standards of solar power fencing, if any adverse decision is taken, the authorities will communicate such decision to such owners. All such solar power fencing should be treated to be unauthorised solar power fencing, which should be removed in terms of the decision of the Government, in its letter dated 02.12.2009”, the court order said.

As per the letter, advocate and former special government pleader M. Santhanaraman raised the issue of electrocution of elephants in an e-mail dated February 14. The death of elephants due to electrocution has become frequent in recent times, especially in the districts of Coimbatore and Erode. Unregulated voltage in the solar power fencing erected by agriculturists and others is the primary cause of these deaths. Till the State government frames guidelines as per the orders of the High Court, the orders of High Court can be implemented so as to keep check on the existing and new power fences to reduce the death of elephants due to electrocution.