Chennai greens move court against Isha yoga

Deccan Chronicle: Chennai: Friday, April 26, 2013.

Electrical fencing which is said to be affecting the mobility of elephants

The perennial problem of man-animal conflict is accentuated by frequent incursion of the two-legged species into the woods. Environmental activist M. Vetriselvan of Chennai has moved the Madras high court seeking direction to stop power supply to the unapproved buildings of Isha Foundation, well-known yoga centre run by Jaggi Vasudev in Coimbatore. Meanwhile, the state forest department officials inspected the Isha Foundation for alleged encroachment of forest land early this week, said sources.

Earlier, they had sent a report to the chief conservator of forests on how the encroachments have affected the pathways of elephants, thereby forcing the jumbos to invade human habitations.

According to RTI documents, the report said it would not be possible for forest officials to rescue Isha devotees, particularly during the heavily crowded Maha Shivarathri gathering, from elephant attacks. In the last six years, 50 elephants were killed and close to 60 locals died in man-animal conflicts, according to RTI replies from the forest department.

Though the local panchayat and forest department have sent several letters asking Isha Foundation to stop the construction activity and avoid using bright lighting, it continued to violate the forest Act, say the RTI replies. Issuing lock and seal and demolition notice to the Isha Foundation, the town and country-planning department in December 2012 ordered the centre to restore the land to its original condition citing that the buildings are “unauthorised” and construction had been carried out “without permission/consent”.

Speaking to Deccan Chronicle, advocate M. Radhakrishnan, appearing for Vetriselvan, said, “We learnt that uninterrupted power supply is provided to the centre through a separate feeder. Since the yoga centre has been constructed many buildings without getting any approval, we sought the court to direct TNEB to stop electricity supply immediately.”

Spokesperson for Isha Foundation, Rajesh Chander, said, “Almost 70 per cent of the buildings in the centre have got approval. We have applied for approvals. Since the matter is in court, we do not want to comment on the allegations.”