The Supreme Court on Monday (August 17, 2026) directed the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEFCC) to conduct a nationwide survey to check if any State has constructed obstacles or created blockades in elephant corridors, saying it was unacceptable.
The top court barred the use of any kind of fireballs or mashaals (torches) to chase away elephants and asked State authorities to implement its directions. It had issued a notice to West Bengal’s Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Head of Forest Force) seeking his response on the plea and posted the matter for hearing after four weeks. The petitioners, Ms.
On November 14, 2024, the top court agreed to hear a plea seeking initiation of contempt proceedings for alleged violation of its orders asking State authorities to desist from using fireballs to drive elephants that come near human habitation or croplands. Bindra and others, referred to the orders passed by the apex court on August 1, 2018 and December 4, 2018 while hearing a plea that highlighted the cruel methods used in some states to manage human-wildlife conflict and, in particular, human-elephant conflict. The contempt plea, filed through advocate Shibani Ghosh, said the top court in its August 1, 2018 order had said wherever the spikes or fireballs are used for driving elephants, remedial steps should be taken by the States concerned to remove spikes and to desist from using fireballs.
CJI Kant said such measures have to be taken and the court must be apprised through the status report to be filed in six weeks. “Through these two orders, this court had issued clear directions to the State of West Bengal to desist from using fireballs to drive or chase elephants that come near human habitation and croplands,” the plea said. It said despite a clear direction from the apex court to desist from using fireballs or mashaals except as an emergency measure, that too for a limited period, the practice of using such “cruel and barbaric techniques” to scare and chase elephants continues in West Bengal.
