The Bombay High Court has disposed of a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) expressing concern to protect bisons, which tend to stray within the city limits and failure on part of the respondents to act in terms of the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) prepared in 2015.
The petitioners also expressed a concern that if the terms of such SOP are found to be insufficient, the same may be directed to be amended suitably.
Ajinkya M. Udane, the Counsel for the Petitioner, submitted that one Gaur (Indian Bison), entered Pune City from the Forest in the crowded Kothrud area.
On witnessing a large number of people who assembled at the spot, the bison began running to escape from the crowd, but ended up ramming into a parked vehicle and iron gates of the society and injuring itself and ultimately died.
The post-mortem revealed that he died because of cardiovascular failure induced by the shock and distress experienced by the animal. The Standard Operating Procedure was published in 2015 to control such situations. The same has not been followed.
P. P. Kakade, Government Pleader, referred to the Affidavit filed by the Deputy Conservator of Forest, Pune and submitted that the SOP is being adhered to.
The Division Bench of Acting Chief Justice S.V. Gangapurwala and Justice S.G. Chapalgaonkar perused the Affidavit filed by Respondent.
The said Affidavit read thus, “4. With reference to the contents of Para No.9 of the PIL, I state that, the contents are not true and correct. I state that the Forest Officers after receiving the information regarding sighting of the Gaur in Lane No.1 of Mahatma Society of Kothrud rushed to the spot and made every attempt to follow the SOP.
“The DCF contacted the Joint Commissioner of Police and requested him to take necessary action for mob control. The Range Forest officer (the RFO) had reached the spot with other forest officers, Honorary Wildlife Warden, Anil Khaire, Indian herpalogy Society (IHS) along Veterinary Dr. Gaurav and his team, the RESQ team and police Dr. Theurkar Govt Veterinary Officer, Dr. Patil Govt. Veterinary Officer, Aundh with his team reached the spot. I state that the forest officers tried their best to control the spectators with the aid of Police Personnel,” it added.
The Affidavit further read, “13. I say that a trained rescue team was already in operation with Pune Forest Department, after the incident DCF has formed a Rapid Response Team (RRT) for better co-ordination within the forest machinery and also meetings with police department, Revenue department and other concern departments are conducted to deal with such issues. Workshops with all concern department was also conducted for better coordination during such rescue operations…..”
The Court noted that the Respondents had tried to follow the SOP and therefore while observing that in all such cases, in future, the Respondents shall adhere to the SOP in dealing with such situations, disposed of the PIL.