Mon Feb 03 20:57:53 IST 2025: ## Madurai High Court Orders State to Consider Samanatham Tank as Bird Sanctuary

**Madurai, February 3, 2025** – The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court has initiated a suo motu case to protect the Samanatham tank and declare it a bird sanctuary under the Wildlife Protection Act of 1972. This would make it the first such sanctuary in Madurai district.

The court’s action follows concerns about the tank’s vulnerability to poaching and habitat loss. The Registrar (Judicial) highlighted the tank’s rich biodiversity, home to over 150 bird species, including eight nearly threatened species (Oriental Darter, Painted Stork, Black headed Ibis, Spot billed Pelican, Black tailed Godwit, Bar tailed Godwit, River Tern, and Osprey) and two vulnerable species (Indian spotted Eagle and Greater spotted Eagle), as listed by the IUCN Red List.

A division bench of Justices G. Jayachandran and R. Poornima has directed the Tamil Nadu state government to submit a status report within four weeks. The court’s intervention comes after a previous public interest litigation petition, which was closed following the state’s assurance that proposals for sanctuary status were underway. However, due to the lack of progress and the urgent need for protection, the High Court initiated this suo motu action. The court cited Article 48A of the Constitution, which mandates the state’s responsibility to protect the environment and wildlife, and Article 51A(g), which outlines citizens’ fundamental duty to do the same. If declared a sanctuary, the tank will be subject to restrictions on entry and other protective measures under the Wildlife Protection Act.

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