The Environment, Climate Change and Forests Department has instructed District Collectors to implement orders issued by the Madras High Court in 2009 on the use of electric fencing around agriculture lands “in a stringent manner” in the absence of guidelines from the State government.
Based on instructions from Supriya Sahu, Additional Chief Secretary, Environment, Climate Change and Forests, the Special Secretary (Forests) sent letters, dated February 28, to Collectors of 13 districts and the Chief Engineer of the Agriculture Engineering Department, Chennai.
The letter asked the officials to follow certain procedures ordered by the High Court. As per the court order, they should publish a notice in newspapers, asking people living in their jurisdiction to obtain post-facto approval within a month of the solar power fencing, if already erected. The notice should be carried in two local newspapers, one in English and another in Tamil, intimating local panchayats so as to give information to the persons concerned.
