JUDGMENT

(Prayer:Writ Petition has been filed under Article 226 of the Constitution of India seeking a Writ of Mandamus to direct the respondents to completely ban cattle grazing in the Megamalai Wildlife Division & Sanctuary under the jurisdiction of the Respondent No.6 and the Theni Forest Division under the jurisdiction of the Respondent No.7, within the time stipulated by this Court.)

V. Bharathidasan, J.

1. This writ petition has been filed in public interest to ban grazing of domesticated cattle inside the Megamalai Wildlife Division and Sanctuary.

2.The Megamalai Wildlife Division and Sanctuary, originally notified as a "Reserved Forest" in the year 2009, subsequently, has been notified as "Wildlife Sanctuary" in the year 2011, and recently in the year 2021, it was declared as a "Tiger Reserve", namely, Srivilliputhur-Megamalai Tiger Reserve.

3.According to the petitioner, group of cattle owners living in Theni District and other places nearby the Tiger Reserve are letting their quadrupeds for grazing inside the forest area for months together, thereby causing degradation of the forest. The respondents, forest as well as the revenue authorities, are indiscriminately issuing grazi