Fri Apr 04 11:00:23 UTC 2025: ## Supreme Court Orders Extensive Survey of Agasthyamalai Landscape to Combat Encroachment

**NEW DELHI, April 4, 2025** – The Supreme Court of India has directed the Central Empowered Committee (CEC) to conduct a comprehensive survey of the Agasthyamalai landscape in the southern Western Ghats. This 3,500 sq km UNESCO biosphere reserve, spanning Tamil Nadu and Kerala, is facing significant encroachment and non-forestry activities.

The Court’s order, delivered March 24th and published Friday, aims to initiate the restoration of pristine forest areas and protect vital tiger habitats and wildlife sanctuaries within the landscape, including the Periyar tiger reserve and several wildlife sanctuaries.

The CEC’s survey will identify all instances of illegal activities violating the Forest Conservation Act of 1980 and the Wildlife (Protection) Act of 1972. The report will compare historical and current forest cover to assess the extent of degradation. The Court highlighted the crucial role of forests in combating climate change and emphasized the detrimental effects of deforestation caused by urbanization and industrialization.

The order follows a recommendation from amicus curiae K. Parmeshwar, who highlighted nearly a century of plantation and encroachment leading to significant forest depletion. The State of Tamil Nadu has been mandated to remove all infrastructure within reserved forest areas. Both the Tamil Nadu Advocate General and the Solicitor General for the Centre have pledged full cooperation.

The Court’s decision stems from separate petitions emphasizing the urgent need to conserve the region’s forests and address the rehabilitation of workers evicted from the Singampatti tea estate, which has been designated a reserved forest. While the relocation of these workers is complete, the Court will further examine the rehabilitation issue on April 22nd.

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