Supreme Court Directs Fresh Mapping of Elephant Corridors

Gist A Supreme Court Bench has directed the Union Government to undertake a fresh survey of elephant corridors across India and strictly prohibited their blockage. The Court also sought details on measures taken to stop the use of coercive tactics, such as fireballs and spikes, which forcefully divert elephants from their natural routes to prevent crop damage. For civil services aspirants, this highlights the critical intersection of linear infrastructure development, habitat fragmentation, and the escalating human-wildlife conflict across India's major elephant landscapes. Background An elephant corridor is a critical movement pathway connecting two larger natural habitats, facilitating the safe migration of these highly mobile and social mammals. Elephant movement is naturally driven by the seasonal and spatial distribution of food, water, and habitat; for instance, herds migrate to the moist forests of the Western Ghats in Kerala during dry months. Historically, climate change and prolonged droughts have also acted as major push factors forcing these migrations. Before this directive, farmers and locals frequently used ad-hoc coercive methods to protect crops, while unchecked infrastructure projects routinely fragmented these corridors, leading to…