The Supreme Court will hear a plea against West Bengal authorities for allegedly breaching orders that prohibit inhumane techniques, like fireballs, to drive away elephants. Conservationist Prerna Singh Bindra argues that despite clear directives, forest officials continue to use cruel methods. The court aims to determine if these practices violate its previous rulings, emphasizing the need for humane solutions.
New Delhi: On Thursday (Nov 14th), the Supreme Court agreed to hear a plea seeking contempt proceedings against state authorities in West Bengal for allegedly violating court orders prohibiting the use of “cruel and barbaric techniques”—such as fireballs—to drive elephants away from human settlements. A bench of Justices B.R. Gavai and K.V. Viswanathan issued notice to West Bengal’s Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, requiring his response on the matter within four weeks.
The petitioner, conservationist Prerna Singh Bindra, highlighted previous court orders from August and December 2018 in which the Supreme Court had directed states, including West Bengal, to desist from using “spikes or fireballs” to manage human-elephant conflicts. According to the petition, filed by advocate Shibani Ghosh, the court’s instructions were explicit, mandating the removal of such practices except under extreme emergency conditions.
Despite this “clear direction” from the Supreme Court, the petition claims that forest authorities in West Bengal continue to employ “cruel and barbaric techniques” such as burning torches, or ‘mashaals,’ to chase and scare elephants near populated areas and croplands.
“The use of mashaals, sharp metal rods, fireballs, and inflammable objects to scare away elephants is extremely cruel and causes immense mental trauma and physical distress to the animal,”
the petition asserts, emphasizing the ongoing violation of the Supreme Court’s orders. The petition highlights two specific incidents as recent evidence of these practices.
The first incident, on August 15, 2024, occurred near Jhargram town in West Bengal, where a herd of elephants entered a colony, and a tusker allegedly killed an elderly resident. In response, West Bengal forest officials called ‘Hulla’ parties—groups of locals equipped with burning torches and metal rods to drive the elephants away. One member allegedly threw a burning torch at a female elephant, causing a fire-lit spike to lodge in her spine, after which the elephant collapsed.
In another incident in April 2023 in the Kalaikunda range of the Kharagpur division, a group of elephants was seen being chased by locals with burning torches. The petition argues that the reliance on ‘Hulla’ parties and such aggressive methods “amounts to contempt of this court’s orders” and violates the state’s commitment to finding alternative, humane methods for managing human-elephant conflicts.
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The plea contends that the use of “inhumane measures” not only subjects elephants to severe physical pain but also escalates their trauma, leading to further unpredictable and potentially dangerous behaviors. The petitioner stresses the urgent need for the state to adopt more sustainable and compassionate ways to address human-elephant conflicts, which are a growing concern in many parts of India.
The Supreme Court has now set the matter for a hearing after four weeks, aiming to address whether the alleged actions by the West Bengal authorities constitute contempt of court. The hearing will examine if the continued use of “fireballs and burning torches” directly contradicts the top court’s directives and the principles of humane treatment toward wildlife.
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