In 2021, a public interest litigation (PIL) was filed against a bus service on the Pakhro-Moreghatti-Kalagarh-Ramnagar road

The Supreme Court on Friday sought an affidavit from the Uttarakhand government on whether a road was in Corbett Tiger Reserve’s core or buffer zone in a public interest litigation (PIL) against a bus service on the route.

A bench of justices BR Gavai and Sandeep Mehta told the state’s counsel to take instructions on the location of the road while directing the filing of the affidavit in two weeks.

Advocate Gaurav Kumar Bansal in 2021 filed the PIL against the permit for plying buses on the Pakhro-Moreghatti-Kalagarh-Ramnagar road. In February 2021, the court stayed the December 2020 order permitting Garhwal Motor Owners Union to operate the bus service for up to 30 passengers at a time through the Corbett from November to June.

Uttarakhand’s chief wildlife warden in January informed the court that the permission for plying buses was not new. The state government maintained the bus service was permitted since 1986.

Bansal earlier told the court the road passed through the reserve’s core and buffer zone. He added the bus service was permitted as it reduced the distance between Kumaon and Garhwal by over 100 kilometres.

Corbett Tiger Reserve director last year said 37 km of the 73 km road passed through the buffer zone. He added 26 km traversed the core area.

The National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) said the order allowing the bus service was issued without its permission. In an affidavit, NTCA and the Union government in September 2022 said Corbett has the largest source population of tigers in the Shivalik-Gangetic landscape. “For the long-term survival of tigers of Corbett, corridor connectivity with adjoining forest divisions and protected areas is very crucial.”

Bansal’s plea argued the bus service violated the Wildlife Protection Act and the court’s orders related to protected areas. It alleged the state’s move permitting the bus service was intended to “provide wrongful gain to a private sector company”.

The Wildlife Protection Act bars ecologically unsustainable use of tiger reserves. If need arises for such use, the National Board of Wildlife’s approval and NTCA’s advice are needed. Bansal said none of these was obtained in the case of the bus service.

The state defended its decision saying that no new road was being constructed. It added the bus service was in the public interest and no permission from NTCA or NBWL was required. The Uttarakhand high court stayed the operation of the bus service in 2018 before the top court stayed the order.