New Delhi: Parliament on Thursday passed the Wild Life (Protection) Amendment Bill which seeks better management of protected areas and also provides for certain permitted activities like grazing or movement of livestock and bona fide use of drinking and household water by local communities.
The Bill was passed in Rajya Sabha by a voice vote.Lok Sabha had cleared the legislation in August during the monsoon session.
Responding to a debate on the Bill in the Upper House, Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav noted that while protecting the forest land is critical it is equally important to safeguard the rights of the people who have been residing there for ages.
He noted that the government has taken steps to increase green cover in the country since taking over the reins in 2014.
Yadav also said that the government is bound to protect wildlife, including elephants, according to provisions of the law.
While introducing the legislation, he had stated that there were two main objectives of the Bill which includes bringing the international treaty that India has signed into the legal framework.
"Along with this, some level of protection to people living in forest area for their livestock and traditional rights was necessary till the time they are completely relocated," Yadav had stated.
The Wild Life (Protection) Amendment Bill, 2021, which had undergone scrutiny of a parliamentary panel, seeks to conserve and protect wildlife through better management of protected areas and rationalise schedules which list out species under the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972.
According to the statement of objects and reasons of the Bill, the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972, was enacted to provide for the protection of wild animals, birds and plants with a view to ensure the ecological and environmental security of the country.
The Bill also seeks to include the aspects of "conservation" and "management" of wildlife which are covered by the Act and make amendments for better management of protected areas.
The amendment proposes to rationalise and amend the schedules, which list out wildlife species, for the purposes of clarity, and ensure better care of seized live animals and disposal of seized wildlife parts and products.