Nagpur, April 26 -- In a significant ruling, the Nagpur bench of the Bombay High Court has directed the Maharashtra government to compensate a farmer whose pomegranate orchard was damaged by parrots, holding that such birds fall within the definition of "wild animals" under the Wild Life (Protection) Act.
A division bench of Justices Urmila Joshi-Phalke and Nivedita Mehta observed that denying compensation for damage caused by protected wildlife could push farmers towards retaliatory actions, ultimately undermining conservation efforts.
The court emphasized that parrots are explicitly covered under the Act.
The order came in response to a petition filed by Mahadeo Dekate (70), a farmer from Hingi village in Wardha district.
He had sough...