Nagpur: The process of notifying critical wildlife habitats (CWHs), which had been stalled since 2011, will start soon across national parks and wildlife sanctuaries in the state. Chief wildlife warden AK Misra has directed park managers to constitute an expert committee for the same.
The CWHs are scientifically identified areas in national parks and wildlife sanctuaries which need to be safeguarded for wildlife conservation. The areas will be identified addressing concerns of wildlife and its habitat while safeguarding the Forest Rights Act, 2006.
In 2008, Maharashtra had started identifying CWHs under then PCCF (wildlife) B Majumdar. The expert committee and officials properly delineated CWHs but the process hit a wall in 2011, following opposition from a section of FRA activists and civil liberty rights’ bodies. The MoEFCC in March 2011, withdrew guidelines for CWH.
On January 4, 2018, MoEFCC issued fresh guidelines to notify CWHs. The states have been asked to initiate action on CWH accordingly.
“Based on these guidelines, I issued an advisory on May 7 to park managers to constitute committees at their level under chief conservator (CCF) rank officials with tribal department official, social scientist, ecologist, zoologist or botanist, sarpanch, and an assistant conservator (ACF) as member-secretary,” said Misra.
Despite the directives, the process is yet to start in Maharashtra. “We are busy and with the monsoon session and are reviewing other issues. The committees will be set up in August,” said a section of park managers.
Ex-member of National Board for Wildlife (NBWL) Kishor Rithe, who was expert member of committee on CWH, said the revised guidelines have been diluted and whole sanctity of FRA has been lost.
“When government grants community forest rights (CFRs) in forest outside PAs, wildlife concerns are not addressed. On the same principle, while addressing CFRs in PAs, concerns of wildlife should come first. But the new guidelines harp on granting individual forest rights (IFRs) and CFRs first and then declare CWH. This defeats the whole purpose of notifying CWH,” Rithe said.
Now the entire tedious process will have to start afresh. In 2011, Rithe said in Maharashtra identification of CWH in 15 PAs was done in highly transparent manner and sent to sub-committees for public hearings.
“Even, the then environment minister Jairam Ramesh had appreciated the Maharashtra model of CWH,” recalled Rithe. Misra said the committees will identify CWHs through field visits and consult forest rights holders.
THE ROAD AHEAD
After identification of area, the panel will issue public notice on intention to notify CWH by giving adequate publicity
The CWH proposal about finally identified area will be submitted to PCCF (wildlife)
It will be approved by state wildlife board for recommendation to MoEFCC
MoEFCC will place it before NBWL after which a final notification will be published
