‘Benefit Must Go To Animals’: Supreme Court On Nilgiris Elephant Corridor Dispute

Last Updated:December 20, 2025, 16:49 IST

The Supreme Court said that the "benefit must go to animals", describing them as the unvoiced sufferers of unchecked commercial development.

The Supreme Court of India. (File)

The Supreme Court has underscored that when conflicts arise between wildlife and commercial activity, courts are inclined to protect animals, noting that they bear the consequences silently when natural migration routes are obstructed by human intervention.

A bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul M Pancholi on Friday deferred the hearing on a set of petitions filed by hotel and resort owners in the Nilgiris to January, observing that the matter requires in-depth examination.

During the proceedings, the bench remarked that the disputed establishments are located within an identified elephant corridor and are primarily driven by commercial interests.

Such constructions, the court noted, disrupt the natural movement of elephants.

It added that the “benefit must go to animals", describing them as the unvoiced sufferers of unchecked commercial development.

The petitions challenge directions requiring hotels and resorts to vacate forest land following the Tamil Nadu government’s notification of elephant corridors in the Sigur Plateau region of the Nilgiris.

The affected parties have expressed grievance over the eviction orders.

On September 12, the Madras High Court upheld the findings of a Supreme Court-appointed expert committee, which concluded that land acquired by private entities within the notified elephant corridors was illegal and that the structures raised there were liable to be removed.

The apex court had earlier been informed that more than 800 structures, including 39 resorts and around 390 residential buildings, exist within the Sigur elephant corridor.

Appearing for different petitioners, senior advocates Salman Khurshid and Shoeb Alam argued that several property owners had purchased the land long before the elephant corridors were formally notified.

They contended that the establishments should be allowed to operate, subject to conditions, as long as there is no expansion of business activities and the operations remain environmentally sensitive.

Alam further submitted that related matters are also listed for hearing in January and suggested that all connected cases be taken up together.

Taking note of the submissions, the Supreme Court adjourned the matter for further hearing in the first week of January.

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