Delhi HC declines PIL for protecting peacocks from electrocution

Representational image of a peacock
| Photo Credit: Emmanual Yogini

The Delhi High Court on Wednesday dismissed a petition filed in public interest seeking directions to the authorities to protect peacocks from electrocution.

The court refused to examine the plea saying the petitioner should approach the authorities concerned with its grievances as courts couldn’t legislate or frame laws.

NGO Save India Foundation sought framing of regulations to protect the national bird from coming in contact with electrical installations of discoms.

“The discoms which supply electricity to various parts of Delhi have left their electric poles open on which the national bird very often sits and gets electrocuted on coming in contact with the open wires and open electric installations,” it said.

The NGO claimed of making representations to the Delhi government’s Department of Forests and Wildlife, secretary of the power department aside from other authorities only on April 3 and the petition was filed on April 6, the court said.

The court wondered how could the petition be filed within a week of giving the representations to the authorities, without waiting for their responses. “We are not inclined to entertain the petition. It is dismissed,” the court said.

The petitioner was, however, granted the liberty to make a representation to appropriate authorities within two weeks to be decided as per law.

The court said it was not having “any magic wand” and there was a whole system put in place for meeting people’s grievances and only in case of a failure on the part of authorities, they should move court.

The petitioner said it was urging directions to the authorities to safeguard the national bird from being electrocuted on electrical poles and seeking regulations to protect them from electrocution.