1. WILDFLIFE PROTECTION ACT AND
FOREST CONSERVATION ACT
Done By-
Jyoti Narayan Mishra (180804130183)
Swagat Sourav Pradhan(180804130184)
Muktikanta Pradhan(180804130185)
Ashok Kumar Parida(180804130186)
Submitted to-
Mr. Chandrasekhar Sahu
Asst. Professor
Department of Crop Physiology
Centurion University
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CONTENTS
What is wildlife and wildlife protection
Why to conserve and protect wildlife?
Wildlife Protection Act
Feature of wildlife protection act
What is forest conservation and why it is needed to be
conserved?
Forest Conservation Act
Salient Features of Forest Conservation Act.
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“Wildlife and its habitat cannot
speak, so we must and we will.”
-Theodore Roosevelt
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What is wildlife & wildlife protection?
•Wildlife traditionally refers to undomesticated
animal species, but has come to include all
organisms that grow or live wild in an area
without being introduced by humans.
•Wildlife protection is the attempt to protect
endangered animal and plant species, along
with their natural habitat.
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•Additionally, wildlife protection aims to
raise awareness regarding the importance
of wildlife and wilderness. Today, there
are government bureaus and organizations
that help promote different wildlife
conservation areas.
•The government also aims to
implement certain policies that are
specifically created to protect the
animals.
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Why to conserve and protect the wildlife?
Promote Biodiversity
Biodiversity is essential for a healthy and functional ecosystem. If
wildlife is extracted from its natural habitat, the delicate balance of the
ecosystem will be disturbed which will then lead to disastrous results.
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Beneficial For Humans
For instance, a lot of medicines have been derived from the chemicals
produced by animals. These medicines are then used to help cure
various health conditions, such as heart diseases, disorders, and other
illnesses. In fact, based on the statistics provided by the U.S Fish
and Wildlife Service, more than 25% of the medicinal
prescriptions given every year contain chemicals from animals.
For instance, the venom from a tarantula can help fight
neurological disorders.
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Conservation Of Natural Habitat
When we conserve and protect the natural habitat of wildlife
species, we enrich our planet. To do so, we must keep the animals in
their natural place. Conservation of natural habitats will also be
beneficial for humans since it helps keep the essential watersheds
intact and ensuring clean, freshwater.
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WILDLIFE PROTECTION ACT, 1972
The Indian Parliament enacted the Wildlife
Protection Act in 1972, which provides for the
safeguard and protection of the country’s wild
animals, birds, and plant species, in order to
ensure environmental and ecological security.
Among other things, the Act lays down
restrictions on hunting many animal species.
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Article 48A of the Constitution of India directs the State to protect and
improve the environment and safeguard wildlife and forests. This article was
added to the Constitution by the 42nd Amendment in 1976.
Article 51A imposes certain fundamental duties for the people of India.
One of them is to protect and improve the natural environment including
forests, lakes, rivers, and wildlife and to have compassion for living
creatures.
Constitutional Provisions for the
Wildlife Act
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Salient Features Wildlife Protection Act
•The Act provides for the formation of wildlife advisory boards,
wildlife wardens, specifies their powers and duties, etc.
•It helped India become a party to the Convention on International
Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).
•The Act prohibited the hunting of endangered species. Scheduled
animals are prohibited from being traded as per the Act’s provisions.
• The Act provides for licenses for the sale, transfer, and possession of
some wildlife species.
12. •Its provisions paved the way for the formation of the Central Zoo Authority.
This is the central body responsible for the oversight of zoos in India. It was
established in 1992.
•The Act created six schedules which gave varying degrees of protection to
classes of flora and fauna.
•The National Board for Wildlife was constituted as a statutory organization
under the provisions of this Act.
•The Act also provided for the establishment of the National Tiger
Conservation Authority.
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Protected Areas under the Wildlife Protection Act
There are five types of protected areas as provided under the Act. They are
described below:
1. Sanctuaries: “Sanctuary is a place of refuge where injured, abandoned,
and abused wildlife is allowed to live in peace in their natural
environment without any human intervention.”
•The Chief Wildlife Warden (who is the authority to control, manage
and maintain all sanctuaries) may grant permission to persons for entry or
residence in the sanctuary for the study of wildlife, scientific research,
photography, the transaction of any lawful business with persons residing
inside, and tourism.
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•Examples: Indian Wild Ass Sanctuary (Rann of Kutch, Gujarat); Vedanthangal
Bird Sanctuary in Tamil Nadu (oldest bird sanctuary in India); Dandeli Wildlife
Sanctuary (Karnataka).
2. National Parks: “National Parks are the areas that are set by the government
to conserve the natural environment.”
•The main objective of a national park is to protect the natural environment
of the area and biodiversity conservation.
•The landscape, fauna, and flora are present in their natural state in national
parks.
•Species mentioned in the Schedules of the Wildlife Act are not allowed to be hunted
or captured.
•They cannot be downgraded to the status of a ‘sanctuary’.
•Examples: Bandipur National Park in Karnataka; Hemis National Park in Jammu &
Kashmir; Kaziranga National Park in Assam.
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3. Conservation Reserves: The State government may declare an area
(particularly those adjacent to sanctuaries or parks) as conservation reserves
after consulting with local communities.
4. Community Reserves: The State government may declare any private or
community land as a community reserve after consultation with the local
community or an individual who has volunteered to conserve the wildlife.
5. Tiger Reserves: These areas are reserved for the protection and conservation
of tigers in India. They are declared on the recommendations of the National
Tiger Conservation Authority.
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Schedules of the Wildlife Protection Act
There are six schedules provided in the Wildlife Protection Act. They
are discussed in the table below:
Schedule I
•This Schedule covers endangered species.
•These species need rigorous protection and therefore, the harshest
penalties for violation of the law are for species under this Schedule.
•Species under this Schedule are prohibited to be hunted throughout
India, except under threat to human life.
•Absolute protection is accorded to species on this list.
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•The Trade of these animals is prohibited.
•Examples: tiger, blackbuck, Himalayan Brown Bear, Brow-Antlered
Deer, Blue whale, Common Dolphin, Cheetah, Clouded Leopard,
hornbills, Indian Gazelle, etc.
Schedule II
•Animals under this list are also accorded high protection.
•Their trade is prohibited.
•They cannot be hunted except under threat to human life.
•Examples: Kohinoor (insect), Assamese Macaque, Bengal Hanuman
langur, Large Indian Civet, Indian Fox, Larger Kashmir Flying
Squirrel, Kashmir Fox, etc.
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Schedule III & IV
•This list is for species that are not endangered.
•This includes protected species but the penalty for any violation is less
compared to the first two schedules.
•Examples: hyena, Himalayan rat, porcupine, flying fox, Malabar tree
toad, etc.
Schedule V
•This schedule contains animals that can be hunted.
•Examples: mice, rat, common crow, fruit bats, etc.
Schedule VI
•This list contains plants that are forbidden from cultivation.
•Examples: pitcher plant, blue vanda, red vanda, kuth, etc.
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What is Forest Conservation and why it is needed to be conserved ?
Forest conservation as the name suggests is the preservation and the
protection of forests. It also involves the reversal of deforestation and
environmental pollution. The preservation of all natural resources is
absolutely essential for the balance of our ecosystem.
The importance of forest-
We are basically dependent on forests for our survival. And so their
conservation is of essential importance.
•The most important function of forests is that it produces mass
amounts of oxygen as a by-product of photosynthesis. Oxygen is the
main respiratory gas for all animals, it ensures our survival.
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•And while photosynthesis, trees also absorb carbon dioxide from
the air. This is one of the main pollutants of air pollution. Hence
forests also reduce air pollution.
•Forests also prevent soil erosion and keep soil pollution in check.
Deforestation, in fact, leads to soil erosion on a large scale since the
topsoil comes loose.
•Forests also play an important part in the water cycle and control
moisture levels of our ecosystem.
•And finally, forests are the natural home and habitat for millions
of species of animals, birds, and insects.
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Forest Conservation Act
The Forest Conservation Act, 1980 an
Act of the Parliament of India to provide
for the conservation of forests and for
matters connected therewith or secondary
or incidental there to. It was further
amended in 1988. This law extends to the
whole of India. It was enacted by
Parliament of India to control further
deforestation of Forest Areas in India.
The act came into force on 25 October
1980.
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With a view to checking further deforestation, the Forest Conservation
Ordinance, 1980 had been promulgated on 25th October, 1980. The present
Act has replaced the said Ordinance and contains similar provisions. The Act
extends to the whole of India except the State of Jammu and Kashmir and
came into force on 25th October, 1980.
1. Short title, extent and commencement
(1) This Act may be called the Forest
Conservation Act 1980.
(2) It extends to the whole of India except the
State of Jammu and Kashmir.
(3) It shall be deemed to have come into force
on the 25th day of October 1980.
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2. Restriction on the de-reservation of forests or use
of forest land for non-forest purpose
Not withstanding anything contained in any
other law for the time being in force in a
State, no State Government or other
authority shall make, except with the prior
approval of the Central Government, any
order directing-
(i) that any reserved forest or any portion
thereof, shall cease to be reserved;
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(ii) that any forest land or any portion thereof may be used for any
non-forest purposes;
(iii) that any forest land or any portion thereof may be assigned by way
of lease of otherwise to any private person or to any authority,
corporation, agency or any other Organisation not owned, managed or
controlled by Government.
(iv) that any forest land or any portion thereof may be cleared of trees
which have grown naturally in that land or portion, for the purpose of
using it for afforestation.
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3. Constitution of Advisory Committee
The Central Government may constitute a Committee consisting of such
number of persons as it in may deem fit to advise that Government with
regard to-
(i)the grant of approval under section 2; and
(ii)any other matter connected with the conservation of forests which may be
referred to it by the Central Government.
3A-Penalty for contravention of the provisions of the Act
Whenever contravenes or abets the contravention of any of the provisions of
section 2, shall be punishable with simple imprisonment for a period
which may extend to fifteen days.
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(1) Where any offence under this Act has been committed.
a) by any department of Government the head of the department; or
b) by any authority, every person who, at the time the offence was
committed, was directly in charge of and was responsible to, the
authority for the conduct of the business of the authority was well
as the authority; shall be deemed to be guilty of the offence and
shall be liable to be proceeded against and punished accordingly.
3B-Offences by authorities and Government departments
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(2) Not withstanding anything contained in sub-section (1), where an
offence punishable under the Act has been committed by a department
of Government or any authority referred to in clause (b) of sub-section
(1) and it is proved that the offence has been committed with the
consent or connivance of; or is attributable to any neglect on the part
of any officer, other than the head of the department or in the case of
an authority, any person other than the persons referred to in clause (b)
of sub-section (1), such officer or persons shall also be deemed to be
guilty of that offence and shall be liable to be proceeded against and
punished accordingly.
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4. Power to make rules
(1) The Central Government may by notification in the Official Gazette,
makes rules for carrying out the provisions of this Act.
(2) Every rule made under this Act shall be laid as soon as may be after it
is made, before each House of Parliament, while it is in session, for a
total period of thirty days which may be comprised in one session or in
two or more and if, before the expiry of the session immediately
following the session or the successive sessions aforesaid, both Houses
agree in making any modification in the rule or both houses agree that the
rule should not be made, the rule shall thereafter have effect only in such
modified form or be of no effect, as the case may be; so, however, that
any such modification or annulment shall be without prejudice to the
validity of anything previously done under that rule.
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5. Repeal and saving
(1) The Forest (Conservation) Ordinance, 1980 (17 of 1980), is
hereby repealed.
(2) Notwithstanding such repeal, anything done or any action taken
under the provisions of the said Ordinance shall be deemed to have
been done or taken under the corresponding provisions of this Act.
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Acknowledgement
We take an humble opportunity to thank Mr. Chandrasekhar
Sahu Sir who gave us an golden opportunity to do this
presentation of Environmental Science & Disaster
Management on the topic “Wildlife Protection & Forest
conservation Act”.