The Supreme Court has warned the Tamil Nadu government that encroachments inside the Meghamalai Tiger Reserve in Theni district must be removed in full, failing which paramilitary forces may be sent to protect the forest.
The case relates to petitions seeking eviction of encroachments from protected forest areas in Meghamalai and Manjolai in Tirunelveli district. The matter was heard by a bench led by Justice Vikram Nath.
Appearing for the state, senior advocate Jaideep Gupta told the court that more than 4,600 families are living inside the Meghamalai Tiger Reserve. He said alternative sites have been identified and eviction work is under way, but the state needs three months to complete the process.
In its directions, the bench said employment in ilavampanju plantations was a key driver of encroachment and ordered that such plantations within the reserve be fully taken over and cleared without any concessions. The court said shutting lodges alone is not enough and that all encroachment structures must be demolished, with electricity and water connections cut immediately.
The court also directed that no land pattas be issued in protected forest areas and asked the Tamil Nadu government to file a status report within two weeks. The next hearing was posted to September 8.
