Fri Sep 12 14:19:29 UTC 2025: Okay, here’s a summary of the text and a rewritten version as a news article:
**Summary:**
The Madras High Court has lifted a previous order, allowing the Tamil Nadu Forest Department to proceed with a pilot project to erect a 10-km steel wire rope fence in the Coimbatore district forests. The aim is to mitigate human-elephant conflict (HEC). The decision was made after the court personally inspected the area, consulted stakeholders, and considered the effectiveness of a similar fence in Hosur. The court emphasized that this is a pilot project, will be closely monitored, and requires court approval for any extension. They also suggested creating a bio-fence alongside the steel fence and using technology like thermal cameras for monitoring elephant behavior.
**News Article:**
**Coimbatore, India – September 12, 2025** – The Madras High Court today cleared the way for a pilot project aimed at reducing dangerous encounters between humans and elephants in the Coimbatore district of Tamil Nadu. Judges vacated a previous status quo order, greenlighting the Tamil Nadu Forest Department’s plan to erect a 10-kilometer steel wire rope fence within the forests.
The decision follows a thorough inspection of the proposed fence location by Justices N. Sathish Kumar and D. Bharatha Chakravarthy, along with consultations with farmers, forest officials, and legal experts. The project, costing ₹5 crore, is designed to deter elephants from entering human settlements and raiding crops, a growing problem in the region that has resulted in both human and animal casualties.
The court had initially halted the project due to concerns raised by activist S. Muralidharan, who argued that the fence could harm elephants. However, after witnessing the success of a similar steel wire fence in the Hosur forest range and hearing from locals desperate for a solution to the constant threat posed by elephants, the court became convinced of its potential benefits.
“It would be a win-win situation both for safeguarding the reserve forests as well as the animals and also the farmers, their crops and human lives,” the judges stated in their ruling. They noted that the Forest Department had conducted extensive research and determined the steel wire rope fence to be the most effective and cost-efficient option compared to other alternatives. The fence has been designed with ample space around it, allowing elephants to continue using their traditional pathways without needing to cross into human populated area.
The court has mandated careful monitoring of the pilot project and stipulated that any extension of the fence beyond the initial 10 kilometers requires express approval from the court. In addition, the Forest Department has been directed to develop a proposal for creating a bio-fence on either side of the steel wire rope fence, providing a natural deterrent to elephants. The court further suggested implementing thermal and artificial intelligence cameras along the fence line to study elephant behavior and improve future conflict mitigation strategies.
The court emphasized that the project’s success will hinge on its impact on both human safety and elephant welfare. The court will take necessary action if any harm occurs to the elephants.
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