Supreme Court forms committee to address car access to Sariska Tiger Reserve for Hanuman temple devotees

The Supreme Court on Wednesday formed a committee to address the issue of regulated car access for devotees visiting the Pandupol Hanuman temple located within Rajasthan’s Sariska Tiger Reserve..A Bench of Justices BR Gavai, Sandeep Mehta, and SVN Bhatti observed that the sentiments of temple devotees should also be considered alongside the need to protect the wildlife sanctuary. "While protecting tiger reserve and sanctuary, the sentiments of the devotees who visit the temple should also be given due consideration. It is the concern of the trust and the devotees that immediate stopping of private vehicles will lead to depriving the thousands of devotees who come on Tuesdays and Saturdays. It is also concern that there is a belief among devotees that Prasad has to be offered on fulfillment of prayers," the Court said..While protecting tiger reserve, sentiments of temple devotees should also be given due consideration.Supreme Court.The Court was hearing a plea by the Hanuman Temple Committee seeking the relaxation of restrictions proposed to the entry of private vehicles to the tiger reserve, so that temple devotees who wish to perform rituals and worship at the temple may do so in a regulated manner.The Court proceeded to set up a committee to examine this issue, which is to include the District Collector of Sariska, the Field Director of Project Tiger, and a member of the Central Empowered Committee (CEC).This committee has been tasked with finding a phased and balanced solution while giving due consideration to the concerns of environmentalists and the religious sentiments of devotees."Said committee shall give a hearing also to the representative of a trust and arrive at a solution in balanced and phased manner," the Court said..The Court was hearing a suo motu writ petition registered last year concerning the Sariska tiger reserve, which is being heard as part of a batch of environmental cases in the matter of In Re: TN Godavarman Thirumalpad.During a hearing of the matter in August this year, the Court observed that the Rajasthan government appeared to agree with a number of the measures suggested by the CEC to tackle concerns about hazards to wildlife and the environment due to the movement of a large number of vehicles visiting the Pandupole Hanuman Temple. These measures included a suggestion to introduce electric shuttles for devotees instead of allowing entry to private vehicles into Sariska. Amicus Curiae K Parameswar also had earlier suggested that such an electric bus service could be introduced for temple devotees, during a hearing that took place in April last year. During today's hearing, the Court noted that the State has agreed to accept most of the CEC's suggestions, except for a few. However, it also observed that the deadlines suggested by the CEC for implementing these recommendations are not practical, particularly since some of the deadlines are already over. Therefore, it also allowed the extension of these deadlines. .[Read Live Coverage]