Attachment
The petition, filed by Pilibhit-based lawyer Shivam Kashyap, alleged that more than 1,172 hectares inside the reserve had been encroached upon and traditional elephant movement routes had been blocked. The petitioner relied on information obtained under the Right to Information Act, including an official reply dated July 22, 2026, which stated that 1,172.8 hectares inside PTR were under encroachment. The petition stated that human-tiger conflict in the area had claimed around 60 lives over the past 10 years. The tribunal directed that both matters be heard together on Jan 8, 2027.
Because of the reserve’s proximity to the Indo-Nepal border, kashyap also alleged that the loss of forest land had affected tiger habitat and raised concerns. Stay updated with the latest Bareilly news.
It said elephants entering agricultural fields had damaged crops and posed risks to residents. The petitioner said tigers often used tall sugarcane fields for cover and, in some cases, for rearing cubs, increasing the chances of encounters with farm workers and residents. Attachment Attachment Attachment Attachment Pilibhit: National Green Tribunal (NGT) issued notices to ministry of home affairs and seven other authorities on a petition alleging large-scale encroachment inside Pilibhit Tiger Reserve (PTR), obstruction of elephant corridors and rising human-wildlife conflict. The tribunal asked the respondents to file their replies within four weeks. Besides ministry of home affairs, the respondents included ministry of environment, forest and climate change (MoEFCC), National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), Uttar Pradesh govt and senior state forest officials. A bench comprising NGT chairperson justice Prakash Shrivastava and expert member Dr Afroz Ahmad heard the matter. Kashyap was represented by lawyers Namit Dixit and Manish Kashyap. The petitioner also submitted satellite images to support claims of cultivation and settlements inside forest areas. The petition alleged that physical barriers had been erected along traditional elephant corridors, disrupting seasonal movement and contributing to conflict with people living near the reserve. It also raised concerns over the spread of sugarcane cultivation along forest fringes. The bench noted that another matter involving alleged unauthorised structures and encroachment in the eco-sensitive zone around PTR was already pending before it. Download the TOI App.