(IN) Forest wrongs - Bittu Sahgal speaks up against India's controversial Forest Rights Act

[Guest guest]

Forest wrongs by Bittu Sahgal

Deccan Herald

Sunday, November 18, 2007

 

The working of some minds is certainly baffling. Even a child will be able to

tell you that when a species is on the decline, steps must be taken to

immediately stem the problem and then strengthen protective mechanisms. Indira

Gandhi did that in the 1970s, when she initiated Project Tiger and put some of

the most capable and committed foresters at the helm. They delivered.

 

Post the Sariska debacle, our government, instead of focussing on the

implementation of existing laws, chose instead to pass The Scheduled Tribes and

Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006 which

removes the fragile mantle of protection that was tentatively keeping scores of

species and habitats alive. It also decided to dilute the Wildlife (Protection)

Act, 1972 and the Coastal Regulation Zone Rules.

 

There is virtually no understanding at all of the connection between the

survival of tropical forests and the stabilisation of our climate, or our water

and food security. With single-minded devotion to the profit and vote motive,

one Protected Area after the other is being ripped apart to cater to commercial

interests.

 

The Forest Rights Act will open up new channels for destructive commercial

exploitation, including agriculture, and will fragment wildlife habitats,

including sanctuaries and national parks.

 

What a mess we see around us. India's tiger population is destined to decline

further from the abysmal level of 1,300 animals said to be alive today. The

Asiatic lion confined in Gir and its adjacent areas, has even less time to

survive than the tiger, given the enhanced

pace of poaching and industrial encroachments.

 

The snow leopard is challenged by poachers, receding glaciers and habitat

degradation. The peacock, is being poisoned to cater to the tawdry trade in its

feathers that are sold to foreign tourists, or otherwise exported. The Great

Indian Bustard is declining at an alarming rate because its grasslands are

vanishing. More than 100 elephants have been killed by speeding trains since

1998. A variety of marine species are in trouble because of the construction of

ports and shipping channels. Commercial fishing has begun to attack breeding

grounds in the breeding season, even as mangroves and corals face their worst

ever crisis. Critical forest corridors are vanishing, aggravating the

human-elephant conflict. Not a single species is truly safe. We should be

collectively ashamed of ourselves for allowing things to come to this pass.

 

Working to improve things

Fortunately there are people working to improve things in India. Of course, all

eyes are now on the Central Government's Ministry of Environment and Forests

(MoEF) and the National Board for Wildlife (NBWL) where some crucial issues

listed below are being deliberated. Sanctuary promises to keep Sunday Herald

readers informed. Those who wish to be kept even more fully informed can write

to us to be put on our mailing list for an electronic newsletter that will

enable you to add your strength to our campaigns.

 

 

Creation of a separate Department of Forest and Wildlife within the MoEF.

 

Looking at and rescinding dilutions in the WPA, 1972 and plugging

loopholes to ensure effective enforcement. The amendments committee should

include a member from the Supreme Court appointed Central Empowered Committee.

Redefining the role of the National Tiger Conservation Authority to ensure that

its mandate is to encourage voluntary relocation from inside critical tiger

habitats. Setting up a committee comprising members of the National Wildlife

Board and the CEC to go into the ramifications of the Forest Rights Act to

ensure that the Protected Area Network is out of the purview of the Act. Also to

ensure that commercialisation of forest land and conversion to non-forest use is

prohibited. Implementation of the recommendations of the National Wildlife

Action Plan 2002-2016.

 

Declaration of a 10 km radius around Protected Areas as

ecologically-sensitive under the Environment Protection Act. Ensuring that the

Wildlife Crime Bureau becomes both functional and effective by creating the

necessary budgetary support for intelligence-gathering, anti-poaching measures

and prevention of crime. Ensuring effective and timely financial flows between

Centre and State for wildlife conservation to remove finance department

impediments in wildlife protection.Creating financial and technical support for

wildlife conservation field research with guidelines to prevent the

victimisation of researchers. Implement pending proposals for Project Bustard

and Project Snow Leopard. Create a special cell within the MoEF to deal with

all marine conservation issues. Implement the relocation of the Asiatic lion to

create another population away from Gir in Palpur Kuno, Madhya Pradesh, while

simultaneously enhancing protection within Gir by making financial support

available to the Gujarat State Government. Tackling the problem of

human-animal conflict. Drafting and implementing a

comprehensive national policy for the identification and protection of

critical wildlife corridors, particularly un-classed forests. Notifying

wetlands of

significance as sanctuaries under the Wildlife (Protection) Act with State

Wildlife Wings responsible for their protection. Training staff and

officers

of forest departments and raising the quality of new staff through an

improved selection process. Handing over the

implementation of all Ecodevelopment programmes to Rural Development

Agencies. Turn Protected Areas into

model alternate energy sites through the use of solar and wind power and

water harvesting. Working with local universities

at the State and Central level to calculate the carbon storage and

sequestration role of every single Protected Area in India

and to evaluate the ecosystem services of such areas to upstream and

downstream areas. Financing research on the

impact of climate change on flora and fauna, with a priority to high

altitude and vulnerable habitats.

 

http://www.deccanherald.com/Content/Nov182007/finearts2007111736279.asp

 

 

Bittu Sahgal is a famous conservationist from India, he edits Sanctuary magazine

and is one of India's best known writers on environmental issues.

 

Follow debate on INDIA's controversial " Scheduled Tribes and Other

Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006 " on

" Natural History of South Asia General Discussion and Research "

mailing list, all nature lovers including nature and wildlife journalists are

recommended to join this mailing list also called South Asian Natural history

Network, to the list at:

 

nathistory-india;

nathistory-india

 

Discussion on India's controversial Forest Rights Act:

https://lists.princeton.edu/cgi-bin/wa?S2=NATHISTORY-INDIA & q=Forest+Rights+Act & s\

= & f= & a= & b=

https://lists.princeton.edu/cgi-bin/wa?S2=NATHISTORY-INDIA & q= & s=Forest+Rights+Ac\

t & f= & a= & b=

 

Bittu Sahgal

 

The environmentalist on the threats to our environment

http://www.rediff.com/millenni/bittu.htm

GREEN TALK

THE MEDIA

ENVIRONMENT

BITTU SAHGAL

I edit a magazine called Sanctuary. When we began publishing

this wildlife and ecology journal in 1981, we would be routinely assailed by

aggressive politicians and businessmen who would say: Only after India becomes a

developed country can we afford the luxury of protecting wildlife.

Meanwhile, they went about cold-bloodedly destroying habitat after natural

habitat.

http://www.deccanherald.com/Archives/may292005/bittu.asp

Sanctuary Asia Magazine

Edited by BITTU SAHGAL

http://www.sanctuaryasia.com/index.php